My name is Hailey. I am 7 years old and in 1st grade.

I was born with three congenital heart defects: Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA), Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), and Aortic Valve Stenosis (AVS).

When I was a month old, I had a catheter installed in my heart to balloon my aortic valve. When I was nine days old, I had my first open heart surgery to repair the CoA and patch the VSD.

I thrived as an infant and toddler, but had to go back for another catheterization and surgery to remove scar tissue when I was four years old.

Since then, I have continued to thrive and reach my goals. While I am relatively healthy now, I will probably need to have a third open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve.

For now, I am a normal seven-year-old, and I love to ride my bike and practice martial arts. My parents say that despite my heart problems, I “steal” the hearts of others with my witty, charming and caring personality! You can follow my journey at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/haileynorman.



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