Written by Katelyn McMahan, Stronger Hearts Foundation – Managing Director:

You rarely get a heads up before life changes. We showed up to the anatomy scan feeling like seasoned pros—she is our third girl, after all. We were eagerly waiting to see 10 little fingers and 10 little toes. The genetic screening tests all came back fine, so there wasn’t any indication that something could be abnormal. Little did we know that while we were planning our dinner menu for the evening, the sonographer knew our lives were never going to be the same after this was over.

We received Goldie’s official CHD diagnosis after meeting with the fetal cardiologist and having that first fetal echocardiogram a week after that anatomy scan: Borderline Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. At that appointment, we discussed two possible paths forward. If her heart continued in its underdeveloped state, we’d likely be looking at a HLHS diagnosis. If it allowed more blood flow through the left ventricle, she might be able to maintain both ventricles and salvage her four-chamber heart—a diagnosis of Shone’s Complex.

The amount of information we absorbed after that first appointment was exhausting. Two different scenarios ran through our heads, and in our position, the best plan was simply to wait and see.

In that meeting, we also discussed the Fetal Aortic Balloon Valvuloplasty. It was an in-utero procedure that could be considered if our case met the criteria. After additional scans, we did all agree to have our case sent to Boston for review for the in-utero procedure. Mid-family vacation, we got the call. Our case was selected, and if we wanted to proceed, we needed to be there in three days. Timing with heart development and gestational period is critical for the in-utero procedure, and we were right at that window of opportunity. 

Goldie had her first heart surgery at 23 weeks gestation- a Fetal Aortic Valvuloplasty (FAV). It was an attempt to salvage her four chamber heart. We felt it was our one shot to try– not many are presented with this type of opportunity and we had been praying for a miracle. We fully believe Boston was our miracle. 

As we prepared for her delivery, we still weren’t sure if the procedure had worked as the heart continued to grow post procedure. We knew it improved her situation, but closer to delivery the stenosis was returning and it just required us to wait and see. It wasn’t until they could perform an actual echo after she was born—to measure how much the left ventricle had grown and whether it was salvageable—that we’d know for sure what her surgical path would look like. Goldie was born full term and immediately transferred to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital for her first surgical intervention.

Goldie has undergone three open heart surgeries since she was born. Her official diagnosis is Shone’s Complex, which indicates 4 or more defects on the left side of the heart. She has severe aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis, coarctation of the aorta and hypoplastic left ventricle. 

As many heart babies do, Goldie struggled with weight gain and eating. She became fully dependent on her Ng tube and eventually got a G-tube around 6 months old. After an Intensive Feeding Therapy program in July 2025, Goldie started eating and drinking by mouth and is almost fully weaned from her tube. 

Goldie has taught us so much about life. Receiving the diagnosis of a child with no cure is some of the most devastating news a parent can hear. Our job as parents is to raise our children to be good humans and introduce them to the beauty of living a life full of faith, opportunity and wonder—but having to introduce your own child to pain and suffering before they experience anything else beyond your love is a weight that’s almost too heavy to bear. 

And yet, here we are. Almost three years in, and Goldie continues to defy expectations with her strength and joy. She has taught us that resilience isn’t just about surviving—it’s about finding the light even in the heaviest moments. She’s shown us that a life shaped by challenge can still be full of laughter, connection, and profound love. She has two big sisters who adore her and have learned so much about how precious and fragile life is, along with a new view to acceptance and inclusion for all. Our journey isn’t what we expected, but it’s ours—and in many ways, it’s more than we ever could have imagined.