Many students take February as the month of love and valentines but some honor their real hearts during the month.
February is American Heart Month and it takes many different forms. People with heart conditions and their families take the month to spread awareness about diseases and their experiences while others learn about how to prevent and recognize different heart diseases.
Senior Kailynn Anderson was born with a heart condition, Tetralogy of Fallot, a four-part defect which can only be repaired by open heart surgery. After doctors found a murmur in Anderson’s heart she was transported by a special heart unit to WVU, where she spent the first week of her life.
“We didn’t find out until the day after she was born. The doctor came in to check on her and found a murmur.” said Sharon Anderson, Kailynn’s mom. “Within an hour she was life-flighted to Morgantown and we found out about her heart condition.”
By the time Kailynn was eight months old she had to have open heart surgery which lasted over seven hours. Anderson’s parents were told she would likely never walk or talk.
“She was in the hospital for about 10 days,” said Sharon Anderson. “After her surgery, she had physical, occupational and speech therapy to help get her moving.”
Stories like Kailynn’s are why heart month is so important. Families of people with heart diseases take February to look back and spread awareness on the life-changing events these diseases cause.
“February is just a reminder of everything she went through to get to where she is,” said Sharon Anderson. “We just like to remind people that it is a thing a lot of people go through and luckily she came out of it but a lot of people don’t.”
It is not only important to celebrate survivors but to look into one’s own heart health. This month is all about honoring what people have gone through and taking the steps to better understand why and how heart diseases occur.
“Having an awareness of what they (survivors) go through and sometimes the struggle is important,” said Sharon Anderson. “Their journeys are a little bit different but it doesn’t make them worse people.”
While Kailynn will have to undergo another heart surgery in the future, she has surpassed the milestones set by her doctors and defied the odds of what others thought she would be able to do. She has spent her senior year helping the Red Wing Drill Team as their student assistant and putting a smile on others’ faces whenever she can.
“I’ll never forget being a part of the Red Wings,” said Kailynn. “It’s all amazing and I’m gonna miss you guys so much. Be happy, smile and do all that kind of stuff.”
