ATLANTA — Each year, 40,000 children in the U.S. are born with congenital heart defects, and one family is working to change that through the Heart Walk on Oct. 4.
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Hadlee Washington, a three-year-old girl, was born with a congenital heart defect known as d-TGA, where the two main arteries in her heart were formed backwards. Her parents, Katie and Chris Washington, have been actively participating in the Heart Walk to raise funds for research into congenital heart defects.
“We found out August 17, 2022, that Hadlee would be born with a congenital heart defect called d-TGA,” said Katie Washington, Hadlee’s mother.
“It’s really terrifying. You don’t know what to expect,” said Chris Washington, Hadlee’s father.
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Hadlee Washington underwent open-heart surgery when she was just three days old, on a heart the size of a strawberry. Seven days after the surgery, her parents were able to take her home to meet her two big brothers.
The Washington family has been participating in the Heart Walk since Hadlee’s surgery, aiming to raise funds for congenital heart defect research.
“We’re doing what we can to raise funds for congenital heart defect research so that babies that may not have that chance are able to survive into adulthood,” said Chris Washington.
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Hadlee is now healthy, and unless you see her scar, it’s hard to tell she’s been through so much, according to her mother, Katie Washington.
“Thankfully, she’s been through as much as she’s been through,” she added.
Doctors have developed a non-open heart surgery technique that allows them to access the heart through the neck.
The Heart Walk is this Saturday, beginning at 7:45 a.m. at the Atlantic Station. Click here for more information.
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