American Heart Association funding research for kids like Annika
By John DeLuca
In a few weeks the American Heart Association will host its annual Heart Ball.
It’s a fantastic night in Newport at the Marble House that raises money to fund life-saving research for children born with heart defects—children like Annika Seed.
Days after Annika was born, she was rushed to Boston for life-saving surgery. She’s now 7-years-old and brings joy to everyone around her. Annika is a miracle.
“She is a gift to us all…everything she’s been through and the strength she has,” says Allison Seed, Annika’s mother.
Three days after she was born, Annika’s health started to fail. Her heart didn’t work the way it should, and that’s when she was rushed to Boston Children’s hospital. Modern medicine kept her alive until the surgeon could fly back from Germany.
“I remember being up in our bedroom and packing our bags and just standing…just standing in our room and just saying it’s not supposed to be this way. You’re not supposed to come home without your baby,” Allison explained.
Adding to the shock for Allison and father Adam, nothing showed up in her pregnancy. Annika was born as healthy as could be, they thought.
“I was worried about what her ‘going home outfit’ was going to be. That’s what I was worried about, and now I’m worried about whether she’s going to live,” continued Allison.
Operating on a heart the size of a walnut, the surgeon was able to keep her alive. It was then they learned Annika has tetralogy of fallot and pulmonary atresia, which meant she had several major heart defects. After seven more surgeries, some of them have been fixed, but one small artery has not responded.
Now that Annika is getting to be a big girl she’s asking more questions, and insecurities about her scar have become a topic of conversation.
“Whenever she would say, ‘but mommy you can see my scar,’ then I would say, ‘I love that outfit even more because I can see your scar and it’s so beautiful,’” said Allison. She describes Annika as the perfect combination of princess and tomboy, and part of that tomboy side includes a fascination with super heroes.
For seven years Allison has been trying to get her daughter to be proud of her scar but nothing registered. Then one night, recently, there was a major breakthrough.
“I said ‘that’s your battle scar.’ She goes, ‘really?’ and I said ‘Yeah… you know what? Spiderman, Ninja Turtles, all those guys… they all have battle scars underneath their uniforms. They do,’” Allison explained. “‘So you know what? You’re a super hero.’”
They quickly thought of a superhero name—Heart Girl.
As Annika has grabbed on to that, the family, Adam, Allison, 11-year-old sister, Avery, and younger brother, Ashton, try and live in the present, cherishing what they have now.
As you see her running and playing, it’s obvious her life is not in danger right now, but the Seed’s know Annika’s heart journey is not done. They are on a mission to help raise money for life-saving research through the American Heart Association—the leading association in funding pediatric research.
“We owe it to these babies and these children. You know they didn’t ask for this. We owe it to them to do everything we can to give these kids a healthy life.”
If you would like to help children like Annika, or get more information on the Heart Ball at the Marble House, go to the American Heart Association website: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Providence/RhodeIsland/Home_UCM_FDA010_AffiliatePage.jsp
© WLNE-TV 2015
