Today marks the beginning of Heart Week. For those who have followed our journey, you know that, this week is more than just a date on the calendar. It’s a testament to our warrior and the life he fights for every single day.

While February is often defined by candy and heart shapes, for our family, this month is a reminder of how far Jake has come. It bring back the sounds and smell of the Cardiac ICU, the heartache of the difficult moments stitched together with the pride we felt during those post-surgery victories. It represents the hours spent inside hospital walls and therapy waiting rooms and the moments spent thanking God for the miracles He has provided.​

The reality is that while the transplant gave Jake life, it is not the end of his battle. It simply changed the way he is fighting. We are now in a grueling phase of recovery. It is a phase defined by multiple daily therapy sessions, constant procedures, and frequent trips back to the very place where it began.​ But deeper than the physical work is the heavy, often quiet ache of the complex emotional toll that a transplant leaves in its wake. We find ourselves in a space of unbelievable gratitude for his new life, yet exhausted by the relentlessness of a journey that still requires every ounce of his strength. We are so grateful to be home, but the fight is not done. He is fighting for every milestone.​

Congenital Heart Disease may have changed the script of what we thought life would look like, but it has also given us a 17-year-old with a level of compassion and resilience that many never master. He is a warrior learning to wear his scars like a badge of honor. Even on the longest days, our hearts are full of thankfulness to God, who has provided for this journey, and to the village that has kept us going through it all. From cardiac arrests to the gift of a new heart and liver, you have been the heartbeat behind our hope. You remind us that we don’t carry this weight alone, especially this week as we honor the CHD survivors, remember the ones who gained their wings, and hold a space for the incredible second chances given by donor families. This week, and every week, we stand with our warrior as he continues to fight for the life he was given.