Pink lips, fingers and skin peeked out from under wires and tubes, as Susie and Jim watched over their newly adopted 21-month-old daughter, Lizzie, after her surgery in 2010. Just days before, they had brought Lizzie, who has Tetralogy of Fallot, Patent Foramen Ovale and Goldenhar Syndrome, home from China – beloved but blue. Lizzie’s blue hue resulted from her cardiac condition, left untreated in China. But once at home in Charlotte, she was finally getting the treatment she needed.
Eight years and several surgeries later, Lizzie is a feisty, funny 9-year-old who loves gymnastics and singing like nobody’s listening. She will undergo more surgeries soon, but Susie and Jim trust in their local Levine Children’s Hospital family, which has supported them every step of the way. “How wonderful that we can have surgery close to home!” says Susie. “We are all proud to say #IamLCH.”