| |
Hannah Englert was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare and serious congenital heart defect. Her parents knew about her condition when Hannah's mom, Denyse, was pregnant with Hannah, so they arranged to temporarily leave their Louisiana home so Denyse could have the baby at a hospital near Children's Hospital Boston. That way, Hannah could be immediately transferred to Children's for treatment. At just 2 days old, she had her first open heart surgery at Children's. Over the next few years, the Englerts flew back to Children's for Hannah's follow-up surgeries, sometimes staying for weeks or months at a time. Last September, they arrived for her third—and hopefully final—heart surgery. Since the procedure was complex, Hannah has been slow to bounce back, but "her little personality is getting close to what it was at home," says Denyse.
Despite the hardships caused by Hannah's condition and treatment and spending so much time away from their Louisiana home, the Englerts have used Hannah's health crisis to help others. They've partnered with the Louisiana Pediatric Cardiology Foundation to form a support network for parents of children with HLHS. "I want to help as much as I can." Denyse says.
|
|
|
|
