Art with Heart Wrap Up!

Official 2012 Card Map: Updated February 14th 2012

Can you say ABSOLUTELY AMAZING? For it’s first run, the Art With Heart Drive was more successful then we ever imagined. Because of all of the wonderful cards handmade from around the country (and further…thank you to our Canada supporters as well!) We were able to stuff huge envelops with 10-15 valentines for each child! WAY TO GO! Our next ongoing project will be announced March 1st, so stay tuned! Thank you to all of the volunteers who made this Valentines Day very special for children!

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Wall of Love

Beautiful Jeanaveve, our first hero to receive one of our Art With Heart envelops! She is excited to write back to her pen pals who sent her love this holiday! This smile is why we do what we do! Mommy was told she couldn’t have any more babies, but I had other plans. When I was a year old, I came down with a nasty cold. Mommy took me to the doctor’s, and he heard a heart murmur. After two ECG’s, I was diagnosed with PAPVR, a congenital heart defect. We didn’t know the severity of it, since they couldn’t get a good enough look at it through the ECG’s and chest X-rays. I had another ECG while I was asleep, and when I was around 2, I had a cardiac catheterization. This past September, when I was 3, I had surgery to put the anomalous vein in the right place. I was very brave and even made some new friends at the hospital. Since then, I’ve been completely cleared and told that I only have to see the cardiologist once a year!

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Angelo absolutely loved opening up his special Valentines! Angelo was an unrestrained infant in a car accident when he was 8 mo old which resulted in a spinal cord injury. We became his foster parents when he was 2 yrs old and adopted him the following year. When he came to us he had a wheelchair that he refused to use, had eating issues, and was unable to speak because of grade 4 subglottic stenosis. We later discovered that he has a neurogenic bladder and bowel. Angelo is now a very outgoing, talkative boy. He also no longer has any eating issues. His favorite food is chicken. He loves sports and video games. He does not let his medical issues get him down. He always has a smile on his face and an positive attitude. He has come a long way in the few years he has been in our family.

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Ella was born in September 2008 and by December 2008 we noticed an abnormal bump in the front part of her mouth. An oral surgeon thought it was a cyst, but discovered it was an aggressive tumor during surgery to remove it. Once the pathology report came back it was diagnosed as a very rare tumor called neuroectodermal tumor of infancy. It is very rare and none of the doctors around had even had experience with this type of tumor, especially on a baby. This type of tumor though is almost always benign (thank God). It rarely spreads to other parts of the body, but is very fast to reoccur and attack that part of the body again. We were then referred to Portland Oregon to see a wonderful specialist. The tumor did reoccur 3 months later and another surgery was performed. 3 months ! after that, it came back and the only option was to remove Ella’s entire upper left jaw. We had to learn to feed her from a ng tube at home for a while during the healing process. Ella has had ct scans and a clean bill of health. She had dental implants placed to hold a prosthesis that she will eventually wear to cover the hole in her palate and have teeth on it for her. When she is an adult she will have a major operation to have a bone placed that will become her new jaw. Doctors thought all of this would have a huge impact on her speech but to their surprise, and ours, she is doing great! She has learned to place her tongue where it needs to go and she eats just about everything! Straws are a bit of a challenge at times. She has healed great despite everything she experienced in her first year of life, she just has a little crooked smile that we think is just so darn cute Developmentally she is right on track, nothing is going to get in this little spunky 3 year olds ! way

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Desinty loved her Valentines, thanks so much! Our hero is a brave little girl she is loved by many and no matter what she is going through she almost always has a smile for everyone. She normally puts others first. She loves to rough house and to play and laugh. Her favorite activity is swimming. She goes through alot with 7+ doctors to go to including botox for her muscles every 3 months. Weekly therapy, monthly or more Dr apts and people who just don’t understand her and her situation on a daily basis. She has a rare gentic disorder along with multiple other diagnosis. Her favorite thing to do is be in the water. She could use a break from it all and a day or 2 to do her favorite thing.

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For those interested in helping out and giving back please visit the MISSION INSPIRE page and sign up to stay updated on upcoming events and programs!