American Heart Association

Cross posted from Nova's Blog:

When I decided to start this Blog, chronicalling the trials and triumphs we'd experience during Nova's life, I had no idea that there were other heart families out there doing the same. I never expected to meet so many wonderful people, or to have so many of them (you) become such a part of my daily life. I have been amazed, repeatedly, by the strength and compassion I've found in all of you.

One of the members of this circle, Michael, of Wisdom Heart, has recently found out that his daughter Sophia would be going in for surgery. My heart goes out to them. I know it was not the news they'd hoped to hear, and as parents, we all know how frightening it is when our child faces open heart surgery.

I also know that there's nothing I can do to lighten their emotional burden right now.

In March he announced that he'd be walking in the American Heart Association Heart Walk in Kansas City, and was taking donations to support the AHA. Lately our small circle of Heart Families has amazed me with the amount of generosity that is shown when one of us is having a difficult time. Today, I tried in a small way to return that generosity and made a donation in Nova's name.

I'd like to encourage each of you to do the same, and show Michael, his wife Patty, and their beautiful daughter Sophia, that we're here for them right now.

I made this post earlier on Nova's blog. Later I realized that Michael had made a thank you post, and I was replying to it. See, I made that donation to Michael's cause in Nova's name, because I realized halfway to Walmart, halfway through a mental list of Easter basket fixings, that mentally, I was shopping for 6, but would only be buying for 5. I gave that money to Michael's cause in lieu of Nova's "Easter basket."

Now for the weird, but totally true, part:
The word verification strand for my reply to his thank you post was "dxmort" - in doctorese/Latin... Dx means diagnosed, and Mort is the Latin root word for dead. I don't think there was any better way of getting validation for making that donation.

Nova didn't need that basket - he's gone. But other children do need that money for research, to save other babies' lives. Without it, thousands of mothers will have children born with Congenital Heart Defects, children who, like Nova will be unnecessarily dxmort.