Heart Angel Evie

Evelyn “Evie” Gina Gregg was born November 6, 2014. Her expressive brown eyes and a whisper of hair atop her head were complimented by her beaming smile. Evie loved her husky dog, “Dute,” (Duke) and her infectious laughter could soften the toughest person. She made a friend everywhere she went.
“She was such a happy little girl,” her mother, Christina Gregg, said. “She lit up a room when she was in it.”
Evie is the daughter of Bob and Christina Gregg of Omaha, sister of Adrianna, granddaughter of Connie Hird, Dawson PPD Supervisor of Consumer Accounts, and great-granddaughter of Virgil Coryell, a retired Dawson PPD lineman.
When she was about four months old, Evie’s pediatrician suspected that she had pneumonia and ordered a chest x-ray. What they found was far worse.
“The pediatrician called to tell me that her chest x-ray showed an enlarged heart,” Christina said. “To say the least, our family was in shock and nervous.”
Evie was taken to The Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha for an echocardiogram, a test that uses ultrasound to view the heart.
“The doctor said her heart looked like Swiss Cheese,” Connie said, fighting back tears.
The diagnosis: Congenital Heart Defect, or CHD.
Evie was born with holes in her heart. Specifically, she was diagnosed with multiple ventricular (holes in the wall separating the two lower chambers) and atrial defects (holes in the wall separating the top two chambers). ASDs and VSDs allow blood to pass from the left side of the heart to the right side. This means that oxygen-rich blood can mix with oxygen-poor blood. As a result, some oxygen-rich blood is pumped into the lungs instead of out to the body.
Shockingly, one in 100 children are diagnosed with CHD, according to the Congenital Heart Public Health Consortium. It is the number one birth defect worldwide.
“Many are unaware of this, unless they have been personally touched,” Christina said.
Approximately 25 percent of children born with a CHD will need heart surgery or other interventions to survive. People with CHDs face a life-long risk of health problems such as issues with growth and eating, developmental delays, difficulty with exercise, heart rhythm problems, heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest or stroke.

Evie was placed on Lasix, an oral drug used to remove excess fluid in her body. She was scheduled for open heart surgery at The Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in April 2015, but she was diagnosed with HMPV (human metapneumovirus), similar to RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). The surgery was postponed for six weeks to allow her body to heal.
In the meantime, Christina learned about Heart Heroes, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Omaha. Their mission is to provide support to children and families affected by CHD through the distribution of superhero capes, programs and funding for CHD research. Christina ordered Evie’s cape; a symbol of her bravery and strength.
On May 27, 2015, Evie underwent open heart surgery. It was a success.
“The surgeon said he was able to repair most of the holes, but that there were a few smaller ones that he couldn’t,” Christina said. “He said with time those would close on their own. He also told us that her mitral valve (a valve that lets blood flow from one chamber of the heart to another) was enlarged and stretched due to her heart having to work so hard in her short six months of life.”
A few days later, Evie went home, but some complications with proper fluid drainage from the incision sent her back to the hospital. Another couple of days went by, and finally Evie was discharged to go home.
Evie had follow-up appointments with her cardiologist one month, three months and six months post-surgery. Around her first birthday, Evie’s gift from her cardiologist was to take her off the Lasix drug “because she was doing so well.”
“Things seemed fine since the surgery,” Connie said. “She was growing and gaining weight.”
The family participated in the 2015 Heart Heroes Superhero Heart Run, a fundraiser 5k and one mile walk, and Evie wore her special cape to the event. The fundraiser aims to raise awareness, support and funding for children with CHD.
Evie was scheduled to see her cardiologist in May 2016 for a regular checkup. However, she never made it to her appointment.
“Our sweet little girl gained her angel wings on April 11, 2016,” Christina said through tears. “Her pediatrician and cardiologist were all as shocked as we were.”
The smile that once lit up a room was suddenly gone.
[su_pullquote]”I feel completely blessed to have been chosen to be Evelyn’s mom – if only for a short while.” – Christina Gregg [/su_pullquote]As family and friends sought comfort for their loss, the decision was made to honor Evie by raising funds and participating in the Heart Heroes Superhero Heart Run on September 25, 2016.
The race initially began in Omaha in 2013, and has since spread nationwide to Kearney, Denver, Des Moines, Houston and Knoxville. To date, the Superhero Heart Run has raised more than $200,000.
Dawson PPD employees participate in a quarterly voluntary fundraiser called “Casual for a Cause.” Employees may wear casual clothing while working in the office in exchange for a donation. They also determine the recipient of the funds. For the summer quarter, it was an easy decision: The funds would go to Team Heart Angel Evie.
“From the generous donations of family, friends and coworkers, Team Heart Angel Evelyn raised $3,800 for CHD awareness,” Christina said.
Approximately $300 came from Dawson PPD employees, and Team Heart Angel Evelyn tied for first place in the “most team members” category. About 40 people walked in Evie’s memory.
“I was shocked to see how many people have been touched and influenced by Evie,” Connie said. “And the support from everyone has been overwhelming.”
Christina still volunteers her time with the Heart Heroes organization and plans to help organize the Superhero Heart Run in 2017. Heart Heroes also supports families by providing meals to The Children’s Hospital and Medical Center Rainbow House.
“I want to give back to the families who have children with CHD,” she said. “It is my hope that we can provide capes to other heart children born with these defects.”
On Evie’s second birthday, family and friends wrote messages to her on balloons and released them at 1:43 p.m. – the time of her birth.
“I feel completely blessed to have been chosen to be Evelyn’s mom – if only for a short while,” Christina said. “Through Evelyn’s memory, God has chosen me to provide something to other families going through this.”
As the family continues to heal, they look to the future with hope. A baby boy will join them January 2017. Two things are for certain: This child will be loved by many, and his heart angel Evie will be watching over him.
December 2016