Unexpected Hero

Special thanks to Mark Gentle who agreed to share his son’s story with us. The following photo was also shared with permission.

He was scarred.  He was scared.  And now, he’s a superhero.

Carter recently underwent open heart surgery to repair a problem with his heart he has had since he was born. The surgery left a large scar down the front of Carter’s chest, along the center of his ribcage.   When the bandages were removed, Carter was devastated by the marks on his chest. So, dad posted a picture of his son, asking friends and family to show their love and support for Carter and his new look.

Carter was born with the most common birth defect.  1 in 100 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD).  One third of those born with CHD will require life-saving intervention or heart surgery at least once during childhood.  That’s thousands of children, each year.

Carter was concerned that he was going to look different.  What he didn’t know was that his difference was going to make such a positive impact.  In a few short days, Carter’s picture has received more than 1 Million likes and more than 75,000 shares.

Carter, you are not alone in this journey.  Thank you for sharing your struggles and making one of the largest impacts in CHD awareness history!

The Original Post Can Be Found Here. Please visit, like and share!