Hazel’s Heroes

Hazel Joy is our hero. She had a rough start as she entered this world. She was in the NICU for 4 weeks. She had G-tube surgery at 3.5 weeks old. Once she came home, she had a hard time gaining weight because of her VSD (hole in her heart). She threw up during and after most feeds. She had a Cleft Lip and Palate, so this also gave her a disadvantage for feeding by mouth. Her open-heart surgery was in May of 2022 as she was only 5.5 months old. She overcame that surgery with no complications and began to grow and thrive soon after. We knew she was strong, but her strength during this recovery really blew us away. She had her cleft lip/nose repaired at 8.5 months old. And then her Cleft Palate repair at 13 months. Four major surgeries within the first 13 months of life are intense. Hazel kept a sweet spirit throughout it all, and always had a smile. I have never known a baby cry as little as her. She is easygoing and loves to laugh. You can’t have a bad day hanging out with her. She loves her family and friends. And especially loves her big brother and big sister. We feel Blessed and honored to be the parents of the most amazing little girl. As she grows, learns, and accomplishes each goal, we continue to be amazed by her strength. We hope that as she inspires the World around her, we can be a portion of the heroes to her as she is to us.