Valerie's Story
My name is Valerie Juarez. I am 15 years old and fighting for my life. When I was in 5th grade, I was walking for gym class and suddenly just felt a bad chest pain and felt really dizzy. The school called my dad, and he immediately took me to the
hospital and the worst thing happened, I found out I had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Which basically means I have an enlarge heart and need a heart transplant, but when I first found out I didn't realize how bad this was until I started going to Children's Hospital in 2018 and they really made me understand how serious this is. At the time I also found out I have sleep apnea. Which means I stop breathing at when I sleep. So, I had to start sleeping with a machine. As I started going more often to see my amazing cardiologist, I started finding out my heart was getting thicker, and blood wasn't flowing through right. Because of this I was high risk for a heart attack, so in 2021 I had to have a surgery to get an ICD placed in my heart to make sure if I do have a heart attack it will shock my heart. I thought this was as bad as it would get but in the beginning of this year, I found out I need to prepare for a heart transplant before my heart fails. I am so nervous for this but very excited at the same time because this may mean I can have a healthy life again, playing sports, running, go hiking, basically anything anyone else does for fun. I have been restricted from this for so long and I just want it back. I want to do things with my family and friends and have more fun and not feel like I hold everyone back. I'm thankful for my family who has always been there for me especially my dad and stepmom, for always taking me to my appointments and making sure I am always in a good mood. I just now feel worse because my little sister might have this same heart disease as me and I want to show her it is ok and with me we can fight it. I don't want her to feel like I did for so long like no one understood my pain and my worries about life. I need to fight for my life and show her and anyone else who has this disease or any disease that it may feel so hard at times but just keeping going forward and the joy and happiness will come. And I just want to thank every doctor I have had in my life who continue to help me and anyone else who is willing to my life feel special.
Valerie Juarez
hospital and the worst thing happened, I found out I had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Which basically means I have an enlarge heart and need a heart transplant, but when I first found out I didn't realize how bad this was until I started going to Children's Hospital in 2018 and they really made me understand how serious this is. At the time I also found out I have sleep apnea. Which means I stop breathing at when I sleep. So, I had to start sleeping with a machine. As I started going more often to see my amazing cardiologist, I started finding out my heart was getting thicker, and blood wasn't flowing through right. Because of this I was high risk for a heart attack, so in 2021 I had to have a surgery to get an ICD placed in my heart to make sure if I do have a heart attack it will shock my heart. I thought this was as bad as it would get but in the beginning of this year, I found out I need to prepare for a heart transplant before my heart fails. I am so nervous for this but very excited at the same time because this may mean I can have a healthy life again, playing sports, running, go hiking, basically anything anyone else does for fun. I have been restricted from this for so long and I just want it back. I want to do things with my family and friends and have more fun and not feel like I hold everyone back. I'm thankful for my family who has always been there for me especially my dad and stepmom, for always taking me to my appointments and making sure I am always in a good mood. I just now feel worse because my little sister might have this same heart disease as me and I want to show her it is ok and with me we can fight it. I don't want her to feel like I did for so long like no one understood my pain and my worries about life. I need to fight for my life and show her and anyone else who has this disease or any disease that it may feel so hard at times but just keeping going forward and the joy and happiness will come. And I just want to thank every doctor I have had in my life who continue to help me and anyone else who is willing to my life feel special.
Valerie Juarez
Days like today remind us that there’s a beautiful purpose to be found in our pain. God doesn’t make mistakes….he has a reason for everything he does….our job is to just trust his plan. Today because of our sweet Casen and everyone that supports Casen’s Crew we had the honor of meeting another sweet family that Cook Children’s referred us to. This is one of those families that you meet and immediately feel blessed. Valerie is a sweet, shy 15 year old that found out a few years ago she has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. She is currently waiting to be put on the heart transplant list. They are the latest family we have been able to help thanks to the amazing support Casen’s Crew receives year after year.
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