HeartKids now part of the family thanks to dedicated support through tough times
When first-time parents Urban and Tegan Paulo were told their son had a 7mm hole in his heart, the diagnosis opened up a whole new realm of frightening possibilities.
Archer was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect when he was just six weeks old. It is a hole located between the two lower chambers of the heart.
“We were only in the cardiologist’s office for a few minutes before we were told it was a large hole and surgery was required,” Ms. Paulo said.
“(Our) first thought was: ‘What could we have done to cause this? Are we going to lose it? What happens now?'”
At four months old, Archer had open-heart surgery to repair a hole in his heart that was causing his little body to work harder than it should.
The surgery was an agonizing wait of more than six hours, which Ms Paulo described as “a blur of anxiety and fear” that “felt like it lasted forever”.
The mother of two said it was the support from HeartKids that got her and her husband, Urban, through this stressful time.
“From the moment we met, (family support coordinators) Maree and Tash provided empathetic support, information and a warm hug,” she said.
“On our first date, the ladies gifted Archer a bunny to give him snuggles and comfort during his heart journey, which Archer still cherishes now.”
The nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing lifelong support, resources and advocacy to 250,000 people affected by childhood-onset heart disease.
Part of this advocacy is the annual Two Feet & a Heartbeat event, which encourages Australians to walk 4km each week to honor the four lives lost to childhood-onset heart disease, or 8km to remember the eight babies born with heart disease every day in Australia.
“HeartKids was and is always there for a phone call, a hug, a listening ear. This organization has become family to all of us, and we are so grateful to have them be a part of our lives,” Ms. Paulo said.
Now nine years old, Archer is a “happy and loving, Minecraft-obsessed” boy.
“He shows empathy and always puts others above his own desires, (for example) he instinctively looks out for younger children, not just his sister (Ella) but also his peers at school,” Ms. Paulo said.
And little sister Ella is excited to walk alongside her big brother, who is this year’s Perth’s Two Feet & Heartbeat champion.
“He adores it. Ella is proud to walk with him this weekend and he also wants a ‘special trunk like Archer,'” Ms Paulo said.
The family of four said they had marched to the event in previous years and “will continue to march every year for an organization that is so close to our hearts.”
HeartKids annual Two Feet and a Heartbeat There’s a walk in Burswood Park this Sunday.
