Piper's Heart

On March 15th of this year, my brother and sister in law Cory and Amanda found out they were pregnant. After 5 positive tests, they were both so excited to be expecting the baby that they had prayed for! Soon after, they had their first ultrasound. The tiny heartbeat and fuzzy shape on the screen immediately stole their heart. Fast forward 3 months, Amanda and Cory went to an elective 3d ultrasound and found out their little bundle was a beautiful baby girl! Amanda was finally past the scariest beginning part of pregnancy, and they found so much peace in the baby opening and closing her mouth that they saw on the screen.  The sweet girl (that they decided to name Piper) is due in November, two days after her Mommy's birthday! 

This week, Amanda and Cory went for their 20 week ultrasound with her Obstetrician. Their button nosed princess was wiggling happily on screen once again. Then, the ultrasound tech checked out her organs. When checking the heart, she lingered a little too long for comfort, then called in a second opinion. That is when Cory and Amanda received the tough news that their perfect girl has a not so perfect heart. They were scheduled for a meeting with a specialist later that afternoon and it was confirmed that Piper has D Transposition (or Transposition of the great arteries). The two major arteries that carry blood away from the heart are switched. This changes the way blood circulates through the body, leaving a shortage of oxygen in blood flowing from the heart to the rest of her body. Without oxygen in the blood the body will shut down. Piper will be delivered 3.5 hours away from her home in Charleston and will immediately be taken in to the operating room for open heart sugery to correct this vessels in her heart. The surgery will last abour 5-6 hours and she will remain in the childrens ICU for a minimum of 12 days, but it could be significantly longer. It is a major surgery on a tiny, little baby.

There are plans for Cory and Amanda to stay at the Ronald Mcdonald house while Piper is recovering in the NICU, but unfortunately the rooms are often filled to capacity with other families and a place to sleep isn't guaranteed. One of the main reasons I started this GoFundMe was to help cover the costs coming for Amanda and Cory while they're living 3 and a half hours away from home supporting their recovering newborn. Not only will they potentially be paying for hotel stays, gas, parking, food and other little expenses in Charleston that quickly add up, but they will also still have to maintain their current household bills while both being out of work. No one should have to worry about their bills being behind while also watching their baby try to recover from a major heart operation. 

Any amount, no matter the size, will be so greatly appreciated. The gift of these contributions will lighten the financial burden that Cory and Amanda are about to face in the months to come. Thank you in advance!