I wanted to take a moment to share something very personal concerning our three-year-old daughter, Mattie Lou.
Mattie Lou was born with a serious congenital heart defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), meaning the left side of her heart did not develop properly. Why she was born with this condition is something we may never fully understand, but I reckon only God knows the answer to that.
Throughout her short life, she has already endured two major open-heart surgeries and more medical challenges than any child should ever have to face. Thankfully, she’s about as tough as nails and has pushed through most of it like it was a cakewalk.
Recently, our family experienced two very frightening episodes, approximately four weeks apart, in which Mattie Lou’s heart stopped and CPR was required to bring her back. By the grace of God, she survived both events and has continued to amaze us with her strength, determination, and joyful spirit.
Unfortunately, her heart has weakened to the point that she is no longer a candidate for the third surgery that would normally be the next step in treating her condition. Her doctors have determined that a heart transplant is now her best opportunity for a longer life.
Mattie Lou has been placed on the Status 1A heart transplant waiting list, the highest-priority category for pediatric heart transplant patients. We are now facing the uncertainty of waiting for a donor heart and preparing for what will undoubtedly be another difficult chapter in her young life.
What makes this situation especially emotional is that, despite everything she has endured, Mattie Lou continues to be a happy, energetic little girl who loves playing, laughing, and enjoying life to the fullest. Looking at her, you would never imagine the battle going on inside her little heart.
One Bible verse that has taken on an entirely different meaning for our family is Psalm 73:26:
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” — Psalm 73:26
I can’t think of a verse that better describes Mattie Lou’s situation. Her little heart may be weak, but our God is strong. And regardless of what lies ahead, that’s where we’re putting our faith.
Above all, I ask that you keep Mattie Lou, her medical team, the future heart donor family, and our family in your prayers. We know the road ahead won’t be easy, but we’re trusting in God’s plan and praying for strength, wisdom, patience, and healing.
Through everything our family has experienced with Mattie Lou, one thing has weighed heavily on my heart. I don’t want her story to simply be about a little girl fighting for her life. I want to use this opportunity to point people’s attention toward God and the example Jesus Christ set for us. I believe God puts people in our lives and places us in certain situations for a reason, even when we don’t fully understand that reason. And while I certainly wouldn’t have chosen this road for Mattie Lou or our family, I pray that something good can come from it and that God can use her story to make a difference in someone else’s life.
With that being said, I’d like to challenge you to think about how we can leave this world a little better than we found it. At the end of the day, we all have a choice in how we live our lives. We can simply go through life, take care of ourselves, enjoy our blessings, and call it a good life. Or we can make a conscious decision to live more like Jesus Christ, serving others, giving generously, and loving people who may never be able to do a single thing for us in return. I know that’s the example we are called to set for others.
We have the opportunity to be remembered not just for what we accomplished, but for the lives we touched along the way.
If Mattie Lou’s journey can help inspire even a small part of that, then something beautiful will have come from one of the hardest experiences our family has ever faced.
Thank you all for taking the time to read our story, for your friendships, and most importantly, for keeping our little girl in your prayers.
Sincerely,
Hayes & Lauren Girod
