Miracles For Our Bébé

09/29/2026

World Heart Day-From This Mama
World Heart Day. ❤️
When I think of the word heart, I think of my boys.

Olen and Teaks are my heart. My everything. My greatest loves.

There are some things in life that are almost impossible to explain because they are felt so much more deeply than they can ever be spoken. Our story is one of those things.

Olen is the one who made me a mama.

Olen is my first baby. My twin. My little anchor.

My pregnancy with Olen came with severe HG and cholestasis of pregnancy. Then came his birth, and eventually the pregnancy and birth of his little brother, Teaks, also marked by severe HG and cholestasis-and a diagnosis of HLHS that would shape the road ahead for our family.

Olen was just a baby himself. He was far too little to understand what was happening around him.

Olen couldn't understand why Mama was going back and forth.
Why his baby brother wasn't home.
Why there were hospitals and waiting and so many unfamiliar things.
He couldn't understand why life looked so different.

He didn't even meet Teaks until Teaks was almost four months old.

But Olen never misses a beat when it comes to love.

He never stopped loving me.
He never stopped loving the people around him.
And when it came to his brother Teaks, there was no complicated explanation needed.

He just loves.

Through circumstances he was far too young to understand, his little heart remains so open and so full of love.

My little Olen became one of the places I could melt into calm.

He still is.

Olen is the boy who made me a mama. My twin. My little anchor. And watching him grow into Teaks' big brother-so loving, protective, and completely himself-has been one of the most beautiful parts of our story.

And then there is Bébé Teaks.

My heart baby. ❤️

Teaks journey has changed my perspective in ways I don't know how to fully explain.

I thought I was deeply grateful before I had Teaks. I really did.

But loving Teaks, walking beside him, and experiencing everything that comes with his journey has opened up a deeper kind of gratitude in me.

Gratitude for a heartbeat.

For an “ordinary” day.

For a smile.

For laughter.

For being together.

For simply being alive.

Not because I didn't appreciate those things before, but because I understand their preciousness in a way I never could have before.

And I don't look at our story with pity.

I don't look at it with regret.

I don't wish I could go back and rewrite it into something easier.

Because if I changed the journey, I would change the road that brought me here.

To Olen.

To Teaks.

To this family.

To being their mama.

And I love being their mama more than I could ever put into words.

Would I choose every uncertainty again? Every unknown? Every moment of not knowing what came next?

Yes.

Because I would choose them.

Again and again and again.

And our journey isn't finished.

Teaks' road continues, and so does ours.

There are places in me that this journey has helped heal, and sometimes, just as I think a wound has softened, another moment comes along and opens it right back up.

And somehow, I'm not mad.

I don't need to be.

Because this story isn't something I want to fight against.

It is something I am still living.

Still learning from.

Still growing through.

Still loving through.

Our family is still on the road.

And our road is messy.

It is beautiful.

It is complicated.

It is sometimes impossible to explain.

But it is ours.

And I wouldn't trade it.

I wouldn't erase it.

I wouldn't wish away the people we have become because of it.

I simply want to keep walking it-with my boys, with my whole heart, wherever it takes us next.

So on World Heart Day, I celebrate more than Teaks' heart.

I celebrate my two miracles-Olen and Teaks.

I celebrate the boy who made me a mama.

I celebrate my heart baby.

I celebrate their brotherhood.

I celebrate the love that carries us when we don’t know what is ahead.

I celebrate every heartbeat, every “ordinary” moment, every beautiful mess, every wound that has healed, and even the ones still finding their way.

Because my boys are my heart.

My everything.

My greatest loves.

And being their mama is the greatest gift of my life.

I would choose them.

I would choose us.

I would choose this life.

Over and over and over again.

From this mama's heart, always. ❤️

09/27/2026

We got the honor of participating in the Congenital Heart Walk for The Children's Heart Foundation
I say, "We GET to."

Congenital heart disease affects nearly 1 in 100 babies born each year, making it the most common birth defect. For 30 years, the Children's Heart Foundation has been funding research that changes lives and futures. Their mission is simple and powerful: advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects through groundbreaking research that improves survival rates, reduces complications, and helps Heart Warriors celebrate more birthdays than ever before.
At the walk, I was reminded again how thankful I am that our family GETS to.
We get to have Teaks here with us.
We got to do the walk with him in our arms.
We got to walk for all the warriors who are still fighting and for the warriors spending eternity with Jesus.
When I arrived at the walk and saw the Remembering Heart Angels table, I couldn't bring myself to go over right away. Just seeing it from a distance had me weeping behind my sunglasses. I waited until after the walk, right before we left.
Teaks died twice.
And I praise God with everything in me that he is here today.
But not every heart baby gets this story.
That is a very painful reality.
Babies go to Heaven every day because of congenital heart disease. For many of our friends and fellow heart families, their reality is the absence of their baby. An empty seat. Empty arms. Empty rooms/nurseries. Clothes still there but never worn or seen by sweet babies because some babies never leave the hospitals alive. A birthday that isn't celebrated here. A future that looks different than they ever imagined.
Taking time to pause and remember those precious angels matters.
Advocating matters.
Giving matters.
Funding research matters.
Research saves lives.
I promise it does.
I remember shortly after receiving Teaks' diagnosis of HLHS while he was still growing in my belly. By then, I had already begun attending weekly cardiology appointments. I was trying to understand a diagnosis that felt overwhelming, trying to grasp something I knew almost nothing about.
One day, Dr. Waldemar Carlo spoke with me about the history of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
He told me that years ago, if Teaks had been born with HLHS, doctors would have handed him to me and told me to hold him for as long as possible until he went to Heaven.

That reality stopped me in my tracks and I was crying hearing that and my hands on my belly.
HLHS was first named and clinically defined in 1958 by pediatric cardiologists Dr. Jacqueline Noonan and Dr. Alexander Nadas. For decades afterward, it was considered universally fatal. There was no surgery. No treatment. No pathway forward. Families were offered only comfort care.
Everything changed in 1979 when Dr. William Norwood and his team developed the first successful staged surgical reconstruction program, creating the first viable pathway to save these babies.
Think about that.
Teaks was born on 12-24-24.
Just 45 years before his birth, there were NO medical or surgical options for babies born with HLHS.
Forty-five years.
That is the difference research makes.
Research gave my Bébé Teaks a chance.
Research gave us time.
Research gave us hope.
Research gives life.
And it is still changing the future.
The Children's Heart Foundation has directly funded research that has helped advance the understanding and treatment of HLHS. Their early investments have helped researchers secure millions in additional federal funding and move life-changing ideas into real-world clinical trials.
They have funded research into stem cell therapies designed to strengthen the single ventricle in children with HLHS, helping the heart work more effectively as the sole pumping chamber. Their support helped launch work that later received millions in NIH funding for larger clinical trials.
They have funded studies investigating ways to encourage heart cell regeneration while babies are still in the womb, with the goal of improving heart muscle development even before birth.
They have supported genetic research aimed at understanding the molecular pathways involved in HLHS, helping researchers better assess familial risk and laying groundwork for future therapies. While the exact cause of HLHS is still not known YET, researchers know far more today than they once did.
They also fund research focused on the long-term future of HLHS survivors, including improving Fontan outcomes, identifying early signs of heart failure, managing abnormal heart rhythms, and helping heart warriors successfully transition into adulthood.
I praise God for the people who care.
The people who keep showing up.
The people who choose to dedicate their lives to taking care of our babies.
The doctors.
The nurses.
The researchers.
The donors.
The volunteers.
The advocates.
The families who share their stories.
The people who refuse to stop fighting.
Being at the walk was such an honor to stand among so much love, so much understanding, and so much determination.
Thank you for praying.
Thank you for walking.
Thank you for giving.
Thank you for volunteering.
Thank you for sponsoring.
Thank you for seeing our children and valuing their lives.
It all matters.
Their lives matter.
Teaks has had his Norwood (stage 1).
Teaks has had his Glenn (stage 2).
And the Fontan (stage 3) will be next for him.

As we continue this journey, I will keep praying for God's hand over Teaks and over every heart warrior and family and every hospital and medical team.
And I will keep praying for continued research.
Please keep dreaming for heart babies.
Please keep believing for heart babies.
Please keep advocating for heart babies.
IT MATTERS.
The walk was so beautiful. The sun was shining all day, and in so many of my pictures and looking around it looked like God Himself sent a beam of light down over all of us.
My heart is full.
Keep praying.
We love you all. ❤️

*Also, Teaks is now walking a little bit so I think next year we will not need a stroller 😯🤭

Thank you again to Amazing Grace Boutique & More for our team shirts!

09/21/2026

JOIN our Team ❤️RuRadiance: Walking Forward With Teaks’ Joyfire & Olen’s Heartguard❤️ and come walk with us this Saturday September 26, 2026!!!!

The Children's Heart Foundation celebrates 30 incredible years of funding research that saves lives and changes futures. My commitment to making a difference and our Teaks journey has led our family to participate in the Congenital Heart Walk, an event that carries immense significance-especially knowing that for three decades, CHF has been the leading force behind the treatments and surgical advances that help children with congenital heart defects thrive.

It's not just a walk; it's a stride toward the next 30 years of hope. This endeavor is all about supporting The Children's Heart Foundation's crucial mission—advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects through groundbreaking research that improves survival rates, reduces complications, and helps Heart Warriors celebrate more birthdays than ever before.

Fundraising & Donations
Online donations:
* The easiest way to support! Visit participant or team page to donate securely online.

Mailing checks:
* Make checks/money orders payable to: The Children's Heart Foundation
* Mail to: The Children's Heart Foundation
5 Revere Drive, One Northbrook Place, Suite 200
Northbrook, IL 60062
* Include participant/team name in memo line
* Download offline donation form to track your donations

Cash donations:
* Can be turned in at event registration (receipts provided)

EMPLOYERS and Matching gifts:
* Many employers match charitable donations! Ask your HR department or check our matching gift database

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/birmingham/account/2314515/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAUdBtJwZG9mBWZkaWQWUOzWGNiUIijOJrso6-1213JLD7iy22V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5ZyRr2RKCRHe2Ghv6C4XZhuA3mETepPYAuNyxR04ycic2MvwWVBsp0VUFpgw_aem_s7pFA3DL3ZTHu2ukzY_5oA&utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1dennhb9u0ygh

Placing Children at the Heart of Research

08/13/2026

Welcome to the planet sweet baby Gabriel and welcome to the heart family. God is always good. You continue to fight McKenna and Gabriel you continue to fight. I am so thankful for baby Gabriel and his life. Praying continually for him and McKenna who is a mama who has a deep heart of love and advocated for him to live. Thank you Ken Paxton. 🤍

UPDATE: Baby Gabriel is here!

McKenna gave birth after courageously refusing the contracting parents’ demand that she abort him because of his serious but treatable heart condition.

Heartbreakingly, a temporary restraining order issued yesterday prevented McKenna from seeing or holding the baby she carried and fought to protect.

But Gabriel is doing well, and because of a separate court order, he is now on the path to receiving the life-saving medical care he needs.

Please pray for this precious baby boy and for McKenna.

08/06/2026

Olen is Buckin’ Into School and Teaks Is Roaring Into School

Thank you to Amazing Grace Boutique & More for their stellar shirts.

May this school year be covered in
grace, patience, and strength.
To every student, teacher, and school staff member-may your days be safe, steady, and filled with purpose. May kindness guide your interactions, and may gratitude fill your classrooms. May you feel supported, seen, and uplifted in every challenge and every victory. And from this mama’s heart: thank you for teaching my babies not only the reading, the math, and the book work, but also the kindness, gratitude, and gentle love that shape who they are becoming. I see the progress. I see the care. I see the grace you extend to my family through every season. It matters more than you know. May this year be blessed, protected, and full of growth-for all of us.

08/01/2026

Please pray for McKenna West and baby Gabriel! Baby Gabriel has been diagnosed with HLHS and baby is 35 weeks. Parents had asked McKenna to be a surrogate for them but once the “parents” found out the baby had HLHS they want to late-term abort. We know HLHS is treatable and McKenna is fighting for custody to keep the baby. Please send up some fervent prayers for McKenna and Gabriel. He is a life that deserves to live and all the love from McKenna and so many. The heart community is behind you McKenna!

🚨BREAKING: A surrogate mother in Alaska is fighting to save the baby boy she is carrying after the intended parents demanded an abortion.

McKenna West, a single mother, agreed to serve as a surrogate through an agency and became pregnant with a baby boy she calls Gabriel. At the 20-week anatomy scan, doctors diagnosed him with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a serious but treatable heart condition.

Shortly after the diagnosis, the intended parents asked McKenna to abort the pregnancy. She scheduled out-of-state appointments but could not go through with it, saying she could not face returning home to her own children after ending the baby’s life.

Her brother stepped in with support, and McKenna cancelled the abortion. She has since connected with medical teams willing to treat Gabriel after birth and has filed for custody to ensure he receives care. The intended parents have refused treatment for the child and are now suing her for not terminating the pregnancy.

McKenna is approximately 35 weeks pregnant and continues working with lawyers to protect Gabriel’s chance at life.

Full article 👉 Live Action

07/21/2026

Stopped into to ShopWell by WellHouse today and my heart is full. It’s finally open, and the space carries such peace and purpose. Items are crafted by empowered survivors of human trafficking who are rebuilding their lives at The WellHouse.
Choosing to shop here sends love, dignity, and support right back to them.
Being in that space stirred in me a kind of recognition, a quiet knowing of what it means to rise and reclaim pieces of yourself. There’s strength woven into every item. I picked up some cute threads too, cool‑vibe pieces that feel as meaningful as they look. If you’re nearby, consider stopping in. Your purchase truly matters, and your presence sends love to the hands and hearts behind every piece. ❤️

07/20/2026

Kicking JOY your way this morning 😊

07/14/2026

Took a pause in the mirror to hold this little frame of our life-weekly hospital rhythms, my boys beside me, they are the light and the breath that carry me.

07/04/2026

Two tiny patriots, one giant dose of beautiful chaos-raising my wild boys to chase freedom and fireworks. 🎇 ❤️💙