City and State
Greer, SC

My Story
Lilly was born with no signs of a heart condition. At ten days old, her pediatrician noticed her oxygen was low and before we knew it, we were being flown to MUSC for open heart surgery. We were told if she wasn’t brought in at that time that she would not have lived much longer. She was our miracle! Lilly was diagnosed with having Truncus Arteriosus and DiGeorge Syndrome at MUSC. We knew she would need more heart surgeries, but we were unsure when and how many. I dreaded that yearly cardiologist appointment not knowing if it was time or not. Last June, Lilly had her second open heart surgery at the age of 15 years old. This picture was taken on her 16th birthday in July shortly after her surgery. Without the wonderful staff at MUSC and all the support from others and the amazing volunteers with the Emerson Rose Foundation, this surgery would have been way tougher for all of us! My daughter is my Heart Warrior and Hero. She is one of the bravest and strongest people I know!