Heart Sister, CHD Advocate and Heart Mom

Kristi Gimpel has a remarkable story. As a little girl, her younger sister had to undergo multiple open-heart surgeries. Kristi tells Anna about who took care of her, how she felt about her sister, especially when other children were curious about her sister's condition and how her mother taught her to be an advocate instead of being angry. Unbeknownst to Kristi, her first child would also be born with a congenital heart defect. Kristi shares the story of her pregnancy and her daughter's birth with Anna and she gives advice to parents in families where there is a heart-healthy child as well as a child with a chronic illness.