Today my family was featured in our internal company newsletter. Here is the article with the photos referenced posted below: A Triumph of Spirit: Meet Taunie Uhlenhake Taunie Uhlenhake, internal wholesaler, is a wife, mother of two, daughter, sister, and friend. Like most working professional women, her life is super busy. But she handles a bit more than the typical young mother. Taunie’s son, AJ (at left), was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). Here’s a quick peek into her story, as taken from her son’s Facebook page, “Andrew’s Adventures. For more information, visit Andrews Adventures Facebook page at facebook/andrewsadventures In September 2013 at around 22 weeks of pregnancy, we were informed our son had a congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot. This involves 4 anatomical abnormalities with his heart. On Friday, January 31, 2014, Andrew underwent his first procedure to place a shunt to help with his blood flow to his lungs. The surgery was successful and now we are on the road to recovery, hoping to hold off on the next surgery as long as possible. Andrew has an overriding coronary artery which will make his total repair difficult as the surgeon will have to place a conduit instead of fixing the pulmonary artery which will result in multiple surgeries as he grows. That’s quite a bit to handle, right? We asked Taunie for an update on AJ and how she and her family are doing. In her words, here’s her response. Prepare to be inspired. Tell us about how your son AJ is doing these days? AJ is doing great! Since his first surgery on 1/31/14 he has recovered well and is growing and developing at a normal (perhaps exceeded) rate. He is crawling and pulling himself up on everything and even saying a few words. He is such a joy. He just brings such a smile to my face even as I write this and think about him. How have you and your family handled the challenges of AJs illness? We have our days where its tough, not that his care is whats really tough, just the reality of what my son will endure in the near and far future that is sometimes hard to grasp. Overall, though, we have handled it well and taken the stance that it does no one any good to dwell on the uncontrollable. It doesnt help AJ to complain or feel sorry for him, so we treat every day as a blessing and love him as much as we can! What have you learned about yourself and the human spirit through AJs health battles? The human spirit is unbreakable. Literally unbreakable. When I feel down I just look at him and see his smile and think, if he isn’t sad, how can I be? I had no idea I was as strong as I am. I had no idea my little family was so resilient. And I didn’t realize just how much we needed each other until AJ came along. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, despite the stress of AJ’s diagnosis and surgery and upcoming surgeries. I’ve learned that I can be handed any situation and endure it. Where can folks learn more about CHD and how they can help? Folks can help by spreading awareness. Join local walks sponsored by Heart Heroes or the American Heart Association. Check out the websites of the numerous charities. Donate to help raise funds for ongoing research and expenses of the families that have children that go through surgery and/or extended hospital stays. In the U.S., twice as many children die from CHDs each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:08:41 +0000