In the US, 1 in every 100 children is born with some kind of Congenital Heart Defect. Izzie was born with Tetralogy of Fallot and has endured two open-heart surgeries. Through her journey she has taught her family much about true strength and God’s goodness. The following was written by Izzie’s mom, Lexie. Thank you Griffin family for sharing a piece of your family’s story with us!

Jody and I have known since very early on in our marriage that we wanted to adopt.  But with a two year old and twins (our older children), the time was never right.  Our adoption initially started as International in the China program.  We anticipated maybe adopting a child with cleft palate issues or something similar because my husband is a dentist.  But God had other plans and after several road blocks, we ended up training for a domestic adoption.  Izzie’s adoption happened quick because her birth mom was due quickly (after a failed private adoption).  In the adoption process, she was considered a “special circumstance” adoption not only because of her Down Syndrome diagnosis but also because of her heart defect.  She was diagnosed with a heart defect in utero, but we did not understand the severity and complexity of it until birth.  

Honestly, we were very nervous about raising a child with Down Syndrome and naive about the process of actually “fixing” the heart defect.  We never anticipated the scary moments we would encounter with her, the side effects from surgery (eating difficulties, feeding tubes), the emotional/physical effects on our family, and the amazing medical professionals that we would have the privilege of meeting on her journey.  We were not seeking to adopt a child with a heart defect.  We were not seeking to adopt a child with Down Syndrome.  But God’s plan for us was just that.  And HIS ways are good, so, we did it.  

As hard as it has been, we wouldn’t have it any other way.  She is our girl. As time has gone on we have come to believe this: Izzie came to earth to show the world that God heals broken hearts.  She has grown ours in ways we never imagined and her journey to a healthy heart has impacted her birth family, friends, and literal strangers in ways that can only be credited to God himself.

The field of pediatric cardiology is ever-changing as new treatment methods evolve. Surgical correction for complex heart defects in infants is a relatively new treatment option. More research is needed to ensure that children born with complex heart defects can live long, healthy lives well into adulthood. Project Heart is dedicated to funding Congenital Heart Disease research so children like Izzie can continue to thrive. Follow the link to join us in funding CHD research and to learn more at our website.

https://projectheart.org/donate/