Students with Congenital Heart Defects Scholarship

At four years old, I sat in a doctor’s office as my world changed forever. Diagnosed with an atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve with stenosis, I faced a future clouded by uncertainty. What followed was a journey of multiple open-heart surgeries, moments of profound weakness, and ultimately a heart transplant that gave me a second chance at life. My congenital heart defect did not break me—it refined my character, deepened my faith, and clarified my purpose. The diagnosis came with immediate action. Shortly after turning four, I underwent my first open-heart surgery to repair the atrial septal defect. While the ASD was successfully closed, the surgeons could not fix the damaged mitral valve. For the next several years, I lived with the limitations and risks of a failing heart. My mother, who was my sole provider after my biological father abandoned us when I was two, carried an enormous burden. Medical appointments, hospital stays, and the constant fear of complications became our new normal. Every night I prayed for a new heart and a new dad, clinging to the hope that God saw our struggle. At age eight, I had a second major surgery: replacement of the mitral valve with a mechanical valve. Just three months later, I developed dilated cardiomyopathy. My heart enlarged and weakened dramatically, leaving me on the brink of death with no remaining medical options. In that darkest season, God intervened. At nine years old, I received a life-saving heart transplant. The weeks of recovery were physically and emotionally exhausting, filled with pain, uncertainty, and gratitude for every breath. This journey through congenital heart disease profoundly shaped who I am. The physical limitations taught me patience and resilience at a young age. I learned early that life is fragile and every day is a gift. The repeated surgeries and long recoveries built in me a deep empathy for those who suffer and a quiet determination to make my life count. Most importantly, the experience drew me closer to God. Shortly after my transplant, I confessed Jesus as Lord. He performed a greater miracle than even the transplant—removing my heart of stone and giving me a heart of flesh, as promised in Ezekiel. My faith became my anchor, teaching me to trust God’s sovereignty when circumstances felt impossible and to persevere when strength failed. The hardships also strengthened my family bonds and clarified my calling. My mother’s sacrificial love and unwavering faith during those single-parent years modeled true strength. Two years after my transplant, the Lord placed a clear call on my heart to become a pastor—not to heal physical hearts as I once dreamed of as a surgeon, but to help heal spiritual hearts through ministry. Today, as a graduating senior from Logos Online School, I carry the scars of my journey with gratitude. They fuel my academic pursuits in Classical Conversations and four years of competition in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA), where I have grown in my ability to communicate truth with grace. This fall, I will begin studies at New Saint Andrew’s College, pursuing a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Divinity with the goal of becoming a pastor. My congenital heart defect took much from my childhood, but it gave me something far greater: an unshakable dependence on God, a heart full of gratitude, and a burning desire to serve others with the hope I have received. I am living proof that God redeems every trial and turns what was meant for harm into a testimony of His faithfulness.