Go Red For Women...Go Red For Addison

| Photos | Sweet Magnolia Photos

RED DRESS || BAG C/O || EARRINGS C/O || HEELS (SIMILAR HERE & HERE)

I've been so excited to share today's post all week long...it is a post that is very near and dear to my heart because just a little over a year ago our sweet daughter, Addison, had open heart surgery.

I know, gasp, OPEN HEART SURGERY.  It still takes my breath away to say it out loud and of course writing this takes me back to that exact day when I watched a team of medical professionals take her off to surgery while she held a nurses' phone in her hand watching "Frozen".

The myriad of emotions at that time in our lives was overwhelming.  Addison's case was rather common, unlike some children who have more severe cases with life long hurdles to overcome.  So we were the lucky ones.

Six hours of surgery and minutes that felt like hours just ticking by as we waited to hear how she was doing.   "Beautifully" was the report that we received from her surgeon..."Addison did beautifully"!

Her heart has been repaired and beyond frequent checkups, she is expected to live a normal full healthy life!   Thank God...our baby girl's heart has been mended.

Through this process we have met other families who share a similar story as ours and it has also provided us an opportunity to connect with our local American Heart Association.

Just this past year, I was invited to join a "passion committee" with our local American Heart Association.  This invitation was such a welcomed invitation as I had been pondering how to become more involved with our AHA chapter and how best to honor Addison and give back.

Spreading the word about heart disease and the impact that this has on women is a large focus of this committee.  Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women?!  Heart attack & stroke kills 1 in 3 women.  Many women don't think about heart disease and they certainly don't think they could ever fall victim to this disease.

I'm sharing all of this because there is a way for YOU to make a difference.  The American Heart Association is celebrating 12 years of the "Go Red For Women" movement.   The more awareness, the more lives that can be saved!

National Wear Red Day is on February 5, 2016 and I encourage all of you to wear something red on this day (it can be anything...a top, a scarf, a piece of jewelry, etc).  Join the fight against heart disease and help me honor not only Addison, but all of those women and children who have faced either heart disease or a heart defect.

I'm also so excited to share with you that I will be partnering with The American Heart Association and Kendra Scott to host our 1st annual event in honor of heart month, the Go Red For Women movement, and our sweet Addison.  The event will be on Thursday, February 4, 2016 from 6-8pm at our local Kendra Scott store and I hope you will join us if you live close by (invitation is below).

Kendra Scott has been such an advocate for giving back and this will be the second event I have hosted with them to benefit our local AHA chapter.  I feel so very lucky to have such an amazing brand as a part of my personal mission to honor Addison and to bring awareness to heart disease and its impact on women.

What's even more special is that I was given the opportunity to design a pair of gorgeous red Kendra Scott earrings in honor of Addison and we are calling them the "Addison" earrings!  How special is that?!  These are the perfect earrings to honor all of those #heartwarriors out there!

For any "Addison" earrings that are purchased, 10% will go back to the American Heart Association! If you wish to purchase a pair of "Addison" earrings and in turn donate to the AHA, please call our local Nashville store and ask to speak with either Abby or Beth!  Below is our store's contact information.

To Order:

Kendra Scott Nashville

"Addison" earrings

Call: 1-615-600-4353

Other calls to action:

1)  Will you commit to wearing red on 2/5/16, "National Wear Red Day"?!

2) If you live locally, will you attend our event on Thursday, 2/4/16 to honor Addison and raise awareness (and charitable donations) for our local AHA chapter?!

3) If you haven't had your well woman check recently, will you commit to scheduling this and following through to ensure that your health is in balance?!

If you have had any personal experience with heart disease or have had a child that has a story to share, please let me know in the comments below.

Thank you so very much for reading today's post.  I know it was much longer than normal but it's hard to open your heart and share something so important to you in just a few sentences.  In advance, thank you for any support you will provide in my mission to honor Addison and all others impacted by defects or heart disease.  Much love!