Happy birthday, Ella-bella!

Today my cousin's baby turns one year old. It's been a long, difficult road to get there, but I'm absolutely over the moon that she has made so much progress. Many babies born with congenital heart defects do not make it to their first birthday, so this milestone is more precious than words. She was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, and has had two major surgeries to basically rebuild her heart. Then, at 2 months she suffered heart failure and now has brain damage. Which we are still getting to know the extent of.

The birthday girl, Ella Fitzgerald, and her family: