Meet Izzy: In Her Own Words

"My name is Izzy. I am 10 years old and I was born with heart defects. I had many surgeries and spent a lot of time in the hospital. I missed a portion of my life in the hospital or home sick. There have been too many tough spots in my life where I couldn’t go to school or when I was really, really sick and couldn’t get out of my bed.

I have to take what seems like 100 medicines a day. And obviously I have to wear oxygen. It all makes me feel upset. I talked to my cardiologist – I love her – and they don’t know how to help my heart. So my heart is getting sicker and sicker with each day that passes by.

Even on my good days now, I can’t do the things I used to do. I miss playing tag with my friends. I miss being able to dance a lot. Heart failure keeps me from going to bounce houses. I had to miss my brother’s birthday party because I was so tired. I just want to be a normal kid.

CHD has affected me for too long, so please raise money for CHD research."

Hear more from Izzy about life as a heart kid and why congenital heart defect research is so important to her in the video below:

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