Patient Hero

We have two special things to share with you! The first one is that on April 30th, Hana became a big sister! Corrina Mae Yago arrived after a fairly quick and easy delivery. My mother was here for a few days before the birth and several weeks after to help everyone with the transition. Hana has been really great with her baby sister and is very sweet. She is feeling the pull away from me (to take care of a baby) and has been understandably emotional but really, she’s handling it like a champ!

All of this made Mother’s Day really special for me – I had my two girls and my own mother and we didn’t have to spend it in the hospital (like last year)!

So far life with a newborn has been pretty good – I say that and I fear that Corrina’s fussiness has not yet completely shown itself. The last few days has included those crazy, fussy late afternoons/evenings that challenge your mental health! Before that and while my mom was here we did get out and about and helped Hana have some fun. Hopefully I’ll still be able to get out of the house for some fun outings with Hana and Corrina.

This brings me to our second special share – in about a month will be the annual Summer Scamper fundraiser race for the hospital and Hana will represent the hospital’s Heart Center as the Patient Hero! You can read Hana’s Patient Hero bio by clicking on this link:
https://scamperblog.squarespace.com/home/2017/4/21/meet-hana-your-patient-hero-for-the-betty-irene-moore-childrens-heart-center
You may remember that last year, just a week after being discharged from the hospital after her transplant, Hana attended the Summer Scamper – you can read about it in “A Great Summer Scamper“. We are putting together another “Hana’s Heart” team and you can donate to our team by clicking on the link below:
https://my.supportlpch.org/fundraise/team?ftid=116471
If you would like to join our team, please let me know! I will be walking in the 5K with Hana. Although I would love to run the 10K again this year, I think it is too soon after having a baby to be running!

We are VERY excited to have Hana represent the Heart Center and to support their continued research into treating children like Hana. Because of them, Hana has survived her hospitalization and thrived in life. Because of all they have done for Hana and our family we have enjoyed an amazing year together outside the hospital – that’s right, its been almost one year since Hana’s heart transplant! Hana has never been stronger, happier or healthier! She has been eating and gaining weight and enjoying all the activities a toddler should get the chance to enjoy! She is living life!

As I write this, it is the last evening of my life as a thirty-something. Tomorrow I enter a new decade. As I reflect about back on my thirties, but more this last year of being 39, I feel like this last year has been the best of my life – Hana finally got her gift of life, we all got to move out of the hospital, we got to move home after being at the Ronald McDonald House, we got to live life (with Poppy) back at home in San Francisco, we got to add a new baby to the family. All of this happened in the last year. It is all so incredible to me. It has taken a village of people to help us get here and we are incredibly grateful! I am excited for our adventures of the next decade!