Half a heart, bigger than two
Bailey Davenport, the girl who has half a heart that's bigger than two
November 15, 2012 • Halie Unrien, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Filed under Student Life, Top Stories
Perhaps if I would have known that the day I met Bailey Davenport, would be a day that would change my life, I might have approached it with more appreciation. How could I have known what an impact this story idea would have on me?
I have done the heart walk prior to this year’s walk on October 20th, but the meaning never really hit home for me. It never dawned on me that Bailey was truly different, not in the way she looked or acted, but in the way she believed and the way she hoped. I finally realized that God had given me the flesh and blood answer to the question I ask him so frequently. As I watched Bailey dance with the Blue Cross Bear and other small children, I realized how lucky I was to meet her. I realized that I didn’t have to go very far to experience a miracle.
Sophomore Bailey Davenport’s story began no different than any other child’s. Mrs. Davenport was on her way to a diagnostic medical sonographer to find out the sex of her happily awaited baby. The sonograms showed that Bailey’s future would be dim; she was diagnosed with hypo plastic left heart. Hypo plastic left heart syndrome is a complex and rare congenital heart defect present at birth. In hypo plastic left heart syndrome, the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped and most infants must have complex emergency surgery just days after they are born.
The doctors suggested abortion at the time but Bailey’s mother found more hope in her belief then the doctors.
“I decided that since God had brought us together this far, I needed to see the pregnancy through and bring little Bailey into the world,” Mrs. Davenport said.
Two days after Bailey was born she began her difficult journey by undergoing her first surgery. She had a stroke at sixteen months, and only a few months later had another surgery. The doctors repeatedly told her and her family she would never see her eighth birthday, but determined as Bailey and her family were, they not only proved them wrong they blew them out of the water.
Bailey not only lived unto her eighth birthday, but became involved in many sports and daily activities such as soccer and karate.
She is a constant inspiration for her uncle and many others who are involved in her life. A group of Bailey’s good friends even call themselves, “Baileys Fan Club.” People look up to her and admire her kind heart, despite her struggles.
Bailey’s message to me and so many others remains unchanged. “…don’t let people tell you you can’t do something,” Bailey said. “Set a goal for yourself. I have been proving people with medical degrees wrong for a long time.”
Bailey gave me a new way of thinking that I wouldn’t have known I needed without meeting and getting to know her. She is the primary example of overcoming obstacles such as fear or even death.
“I tell my story, not because I want people to feel sorry for me, but to show them that there is nothing they can’t overcome, they just need to keep their heads up.” Bailey said.
The girl with only half a heart has a heart bigger than most of us. The little baby that was not supposed to live beyond early infancy, has more life and joy than we can imagine. She will be celebrating her sixteenth birthday on November 18. Her life story is a lesson in how to live and love to the fullest. She is an inspiration to us all. Newspaper wishes you a happy birthday and luck on driving this year. You have inspired all of us and we hope this birthday is the best. You are such a sweet girl and we all love you.
Happy Birthday Sweet
Sixteen!
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