Congratulations for helping Embroider Buddy’s® Facebook page reach 3,000 Likes! As a thank you to the community, we’re making a special donation.
A warrior, by definition, is a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage and aggressiveness. A warrior is not defined by their age, or height or size. It doesn’t matter what or who you are battling, but that you are battling. With every milestone we reach, Embroider Buddy® likes to give back to a worthwhile cause.
We want to honour those who are fighting the hardest battle of all, and that’s why we choose to donate to Warrior Pets. If you aren’t familiar with Warrior Pets, we have consistently contributed to this charity that gives bring stuffed animals to children who are fighting life threatening illnesses.
Today, we wanted to highlight two of the amazing recipients of these Embroider Buddy® Warrior Pets. These kids are the true heroes and an inspiration to all of us.
Benji AKA “Superman”
Benji was diagnosed with congenital heart defects before he was even born. With no known causes, a devastated Will and Lauren Williams knew they were going to have a long battle ahead. Ultimately he was diagnosed with Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum (which led to the umbrella term Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome; an underdeveloped right ventricle) and coronary collaterals. At only one week old, Benji had undergone his first open heart surgery. He had his second open heart surgery at six months old and just had his third open heart surgery this past August, right before he turned three years old.
Benji, who often refers to himself as “Superman”, is a heart warrior. He has defied all medical and scientific odds as the research states that patients with the same defects don’t survive the first surgery and if they do, don’t survive the first year of life. Then, at 20 months old, one of the surgeons told Benji’s parents that she never expected to see Benji “toddling” around in front of her.
There is no cure for congenital heart defects, which technically makes Benji’s disease terminal. But, Benji is a warrior and he will keep fighting, along with his family until there is a cure. But for now Benji loves to play, use his imagination, super heroes and music. He is all boy, loves all sports, running around, getting dirty and playing with his three dogs. He is the kindest hearted kid and is very independent. He enjoys sharing with friends and loves helping his parents with house work. Benji loves to read, play with cars and trains and is a total water baby. He is very humble and modest about his well-being too.
Lee
The moment Lee was born his parents knew something was not right. Immediately after birth a nurse listened to his heart and knew something was wrong. Lee was intubated and transferred to Children’s Hospital. That day they found out he had several heart defects. Days later it was discovered that Lee also suffered from a chromosome disorder known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. This syndrome resulted in the multiple heart defects including Tetralogy of Fallot, PA, VSD, RAA, PFO, and MAPCAs.
Lee is a heart warrior. His immune system and heart may be weak, but Lee shows amazing strength and courage. He must fight through surgeries, procedures and hospital stays regularly and a small cold can often leave him crippled and hospitalized. But Lee is a fighter. He is three years old now and he's just started preschool. He is active, social and playful and doesn’t let this disorder bring him down.
Warrior pets make the perfect companion for these heart warriors. They are someone to cuddle with, someone to squeeze when there’s pain and someone to quietly listen to when feeling sad.
Supporting this charity brings Embroider Buddy® an immense amount of joy and we are so glad to see what a positive impact they have on the lives of these amazing and strong children. Thank you for helping us to make our support possible!
Donna