A young, bright-blonde boy of nine years wears a wide smile as he slides down the water slide into the sparkling pool below on a hot summer day. He quickly jumps out of the pool to do it all again, and again, and again. It’s hard to believe that this same boy was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at the tender age of two days.  Looking at him now, you see him as a thriving, growing child. But in his early days of life, this lovable boy endured much more than most can imagine.

         The young boy on the water slide is Jake Price, a local Flower Mound, Texas boy.  In celebration of Jake, “Friends 4 Heart,” a non-profit charity organization, was established. The goal of “Friends 4 Heart” is to raise funds to benefit the research of, treatment of and support of children with congenital heart defects.  The desire is to help change children’s lives. The oldest of three, Jake is a somewhat shy but smart kid.  His genuine care for others and polite manners make him a leader among his friends. His two younger sisters, Katelyn and Kylie, look up to him in a true big brother fashion. The doting parents, Scott and Tracy Price, admit that they are truly blessed to have such a beautiful family. “Jake was our first child and we were so excited to be parents,” says Tracy.  

    But you can imagine the heartache of hearing that there was something wrong with the baby’s health.  “We were preparing to leave the hospital as Jake got the last once-over by the doctor,” Tracy explained.  “It was then that the cardiothoracic surgeon entered the room and said that they were taking Jake in for heart surgery.”  The doctors had heard a heart murmur and diagnosed Jake with having a congenital heart defect, which consisted of coarctation of the aorta, a pinch or narrowing of the aorta (the large blood vessel that branches off the heart and delivers oxygen-rich blood to the body), and stenosis of two major heart valves, the narrowing of heart valves which obstruct blood flow from the heart.  Since coarctation of the aorta causes the heart to pump harder in order to force blood through the narrow part of the aorta, the petite newborn underwent a four hour surgery primarily focused on repairing the coarctation. 

     After leaving the operating room, the fragile baby boy was closely monitored in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for several days.  “We focused on learning all new medical terminology, although each word sounded more terrifying than the one before,” Tracy remembers. “We were scared to death,” says Scott, “but we knew Medical City Hospital was the best place to handle Jake’s condition.  After all, they specialized in children care; they had a dedicated team of doctors and nurses.” With the help of all of the doctors, nurses and medical staff at Medical City Hospital, including Jake’s primary heart specialist, Dr. Jane Kao, Jake is now a rough-and-tumble kid ready to take on third grade.  

    In honor of Jake, “Friends 4 Heart” is proud to announce its first annual charity event: A Charity Golf Tournament benefiting Medical City Children’s Hospital (MCCH) Congenital Heart Program, presented by MCCH and Orthopedic Associates of Flower Mound/Lewisville, Texas. The Golf Tournament is Tuesday, November 11, at Bridlewood Golf Course in Flower Mound. PGA Tour Professional Paul Stankowski and others will be participating in the tournament, while Rick Arnett, the host of The Teebox Golf Show on The Ticket SportsRadio 1310 and creator of AVIDGOLFER Magazine, will be emceeing during the dinner.  A silent and live auction will also help generate funds for the cause. At the event, Dr. Eric Mendeloff, Surgical Director of the Congenital Heart Program at Medical City Children's Hospital, will be the special guest speaker.  Recognized as a leader in the field worldwide, Dr. Mendeloff has spoken at national and international meetings on a variety of topics including congenital heart surgery and transplantation.

    For more info about “Friends 4 Heart” and its Charity Golf Tournament, or, if you would like to give a donation or be a sponsor for this worthy event, visit: www.Friends4Heart.org. This web site also includes a link to Medical City Children’s Hospital to learn more about its Heart Center.

    The generous sponsors for this charitable event (as of September 17th) include:  Medical City Children’s Hospital ? Orthopedic Associates of Flower Mound/Lewisville ? Aetna ? MATRIX ? Wade Hunt/Nationwide ? Allen Samuels Autoplex ? American Messaging ? BCBS/Prime Therapeutics ? Cardiovascular Specialists ? CIGNA ? Delta Dental ? Heart Center for Children ? Jeff Brand & Associates/RE/MAX ? Liberty Mutual ? MetLife ? Jeff Brand & Associates/RE/MAX ?  MetLife ? Liberty Mutual ? Parker Square of Flower Mound and its retail and business owners ? Principal Financial ? United Healthcare ? VSP.

- Special to The News Connection