North Little Rock, Arkansas – A young girl from Arkansas who was born with an extremely unusual heart condition has been a source of inspiration as her heartbeat continues.
Emma Wasson’s parents are named Jerilyn and Kenny Wasson. They have not missed a single one of her side during the course of more than a decade and have expressed their gratitude for each and every day that they have been allowed to do so.
“She just kind of sings her way through life,” Jerilyn explained.
That rosy expectation is a world away from the anxious feelings that these parents had in the first few minutes of their daughter’s life.
“They told us to go plan her funeral,” Jerilyn said. “Emma was not expected to live.”
Emma, who is only 10 years old, was born with a heart ailment that is among the rarest of the rare.
“She is used to her life,” Jerilyn said. “Unfortunately, she is used to pain.”
Jerilyn mentioned that shortly after Emma was born, she became a bluish color and it was discovered that she had a heart murmur. Emma was taken by ambulance to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and she would spend a significant portion of her childhood there, going in and out for various therapies.
In the end, it was determined that Emma suffered from a mix of a hereditary condition known as Turner Syndrome as well as two congenital cardiac abnormalities.
According to Jerilyn, just 1% of people who have Turner Syndrome make it to full term. Emma was born with a congenital heart abnormality known as pulmonary atresia with an unbroken vehicular septum. People born with this disease only have a one in 100,000 chance of living to term.
It is much more unusual to find survivors who lived into their childhoods besides Emma.
“We have not been able to find anyone alive with those combinations,” Jerilyn said.
Emma attends school at Easter Seals despite the fact that she must take a number of medications and undergo respiratory treatments on a daily basis. She also consumes her food through a feeding tube, and the Wasson family has a carer who resides in their house.
Her parents say that they have committed themselves to be a voice for other families who are going through struggles with their children in addition to dedicating themselves to her.
“People have her sticker and her magnet up, and I’m like, ‘This is my kid,’’’ Kenny said.
All around the nation, you may discover bracelets, magnets, and bumper stickers that have been made to raise awareness of Emma and urge people to pray for her. There are fans of Totally Emma on Facebook from all around the world.
The Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which is next to the interstate, also features her face on its exterior. Additionally, she is honored with a playground at Burns Park called “One Heart.” It is an inclusive playground created to accommodate the requirements of other children. It was recently damaged by the tornado on March 31, but it is resilient, like Emma, and is currently being repaired.
“What it has taught me is that people are generally good,” Kenny said.
Her parents claim that they are appreciative rather than upset with the world. Grateful to witness individuals coming every day for ten years and beyond, only for their daughter. Miss Wasson.
“People come when you are born and when you die… to a funeral, right,” Kenny said. “But you do not get to experience that in a lifetime. We got to do that.”
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