While you were watching the Super Bowl this past weekend, 16 children were born with a heart defect in the United States.

For those of you who wore red this past Friday (Feb 3rd) I THANK YOU for helping me spread the awareness of heart-related illness!

1 in 100 babies are born with heart defects every year, that's a total of 40,000 infants born every year with a Congenital Heart Defect.

Every February, around the world awareness for Congenital Heart Defect is spread.

This February, I encourage you to spread awareness in any way that you can. Wear red, tell someone about why they should support the American Heart Association, or support their efforts in funding for yourself! The funding they do each and every day is helping to make strides around the world in awareness. Why not join in on the movement to spread awareness?

You may be thinking, why is some 19-year-old girl in college so concerned about spreading awareness. Well, I am impacted by CHD myself. After undergoing 3 open heart surgeries and countless hospitalizations I have come to the realization that if there were more research and awareness for this, hopefully, some day there could be a cure.

The funding that has already been completed has impacted many lives. Over time, children affected by this have a better chance at survival just thanks to the improvements in technology in the operating rooms.

Although I live with a heart defect and I am unable to play sports and keep up with others as much as I would like too, I still manage to live my life to the fullest each and every day. Although I am impacted, and I am living a healthy lifestyle right now, that does not mean that others with CHD are doing the same. Everyone has a different story when it comes to their heart defect. Many even have multiple heart defects.

Support me and many others this upcoming week once again this February 7th-14th during CHD AWARENESS WEEK.

With all of my heart (the half that works)

Lauren Landry (CHD survivor)

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