When Cece’s daughter, Iris, was born, Cece had only a few seconds to hold her new baby. During a prenatal ultrasound, Iris had been diagnosed with a life-threatening heart defect, and she needed open-heart surgery immediately after birth. She was whisked from Cece’s arms to a helicopter that transported her to Phoenix Children’s Center for Heart Care.
Iris’ surgery was successful, but that was just the beginning of a long journey that's had many ups and downs. She had another successful open-heart surgery at 6 months, but a few months later, she suffered an acute stroke caused by a blood clot.
Iris recovered well from the stroke, but her parents soon got devastating news: Iris' heart had worsened. She was in heart failure and would need a heart transplant to survive. “It was even worse than we thought,” says Cece.
While Iris was hospitalized, music therapy sessions were a bright spot during the long days. Music therapy is offered through Phoenix Children's Therapeutic Arts program, one of over 170 programs and services funded by donations.
Iris had spent over a year in the hospital waiting for a new heart when, to everyone's surprise, her condition began to improve. Today, Iris is 2 1/2 years old, and her heart is doing much better than expected. She was able to come home from the hospital, and she no longer needs to take her heart failure meds. It remains to be seen whether she'll eventually need a heart transplant, but for now, her parents are happy simply to have their little girl home with them.
“I'm just grateful that she's finally home and comfortable,” Cece says. “Iris is a tough baby. She's a resilient girl.”
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