At just 22 weeks pregnant, my mom learned that my heart hadn’t developed properly. Doctors explained that I had hypoplastic left heart syndrome — a condition where the left side of the heart is too small to pump blood to the body. They told her I would need a series of open-heart surgeries to survive.

“It was either do the surgery, or he was going to die in his first week of life,” my mom said. “I decided to put everything in God’s hands.”

I was born without complications on September 16, 2020, and taken straight to the Heart Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Within my first week, I had my first open-heart surgery. After months in the hospital, I finally came home on a feeding tube and several medications.

The road wasn’t easy. My second surgery brought a tough recovery, and my final surgery had to be postponed twice before I was strong and healthy enough to move forward. But I made it — and today, I’m thriving, full of energy, and you’d never guess the battle I’ve fought.

My mom hopes our story gives strength to other families walking this same path. “Be strong for your baby,” she says. “They see you strong, and it makes them strong. This is only the beginning — things do get better over time.”