Amelia’s HLHS Journey

We are raising funds on behalf of Amelia Jo Beaver and her family- Whitney, David and Zoey. Amelia was born Thursday May 25th 2023 at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City.

Amelia was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) at just 20 weeks gestation when Whitney went for her anatomy scan. HLHS is a serious congenital heart defect, a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. As the baby develops during pregnancy, the left side of the heart does not form correctly. Right away, Amelia’s parents made plans with her medical team to prepare for a series of surgeries after birth to help make her heart functional.

On Tuesday May 29th, 2023 Amelia had her first open heart surgery at only 5 days old (the Norwood Procedure). The procedure went very well.

Amelia has a long road ahead of her. She will be in the hospital for 6-8 more weeks as long as she doesn’t have any complications. The next open heart surgery will be the Glen Procedure which will take place when she is 6-8 months old. Whitney will be staying in the hospital with her until she is healed from the 2nd surgery.

Whitney is a Registered Veterinary Technician and will not be able to return to work until after the second surgery which will put a significant financial strain on their family. Whitney’s husband David has also taken time off from work to help take care of their 7 year old daughter Zoey while Whitney is in the hospital with Amelia.

Amelia will have her 3rd open heart surgery (the Fontain Procedure) when she is 2-3 years old.

The Beaver family is thankful to have such a strong support system from their family, friends and coworkers. We ask that you consider helping in whatever way you can. We are hopeful to cover as many expenses as possible so that they can focus all their energy on Amelia without additional worry.