LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. – Abigail Kelly loves reading books with her parents, Cora and Joe Kelly, not unlike many three-year-olds, but this three-year-old is special, with a unique journey through childhood.
“We found out about her (congenital) heart defect when I was pregnant,” Cora Kelly said. “They planned on doing a cardiac catheterization procedure…when she was 4 days old, and it was not successful, so that’s when they went on to open heart surgery when she was 18 days old.”
Cora said her daughter’s heart was about the size of a walnut when Abigail underwent that open heart surgery at just 18 days old at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.
“It was hard to see your child like that,” Joe Kelly said. “It was about as successful as it could be on something that small.”
“At 18 days old she’s so tiny and yet our cardiologist and our surgeons can perform open heart surgery and come out with a successful outcome,” said Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Program Director, Rachael McKinney. “It’s amazing what our hospital can do for the youngest patients.”
Cora and Joe Kelly said they’re thankful for the resources the Children’s Miracle Network helped provide their family as Abigail spent the first weeks of her life in Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.
“Our favorite support that we got when she was in the NICU…Children’s Miracle Network supplies these NICU cameras, and so if we were not able to be with her…we could log in and see a live view of her on the camera,” Cora Kelly said.
Today, Cora and Joe Kelly are thankful they can watch their daughter Abigail play and laugh. Three years after their daughter’s open heart surgery as a newborn, Abigail Kelly has been named the 2024 local Children’s Miracle Network champion.
“It’s really special because it lets us have a positive twist to the journey,” Cora said. “It helps us not only bring awareness to congenital heart defects but also Children’s Miracle Network and what they’re doing for families just like ours in the region, so it’s really cool to bring awareness to the community.”
Rachael McKinney said Sacred Heart staff loves seeing Abigail every time she comes to the hospital for a check up, and they’re so happy to have her as their ‘champion.’
“We love having the champion be local because 100% of the money we raise through our corporate partners stays local,” McKinney said. “It always goes to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Every dollar, every donation goes directly to benefit patients like Abigail.”
Abigail’s story and donation link on the hospital website can be found at:
https://sacred-heart.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/
“It’s been pretty cool,” Joe Kelly added.
