Healing Sam’s Heart For Her Kiddos ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Hi everyone, it's Sam. This Tuesday, I'm having major chest surgery, and my husband helped me put this page together because, honestly, asking for help isn't really my strong suit. I previously served in the Army, starting our family while I was still in uniform, and anyone who knows me knows me when duty calls I do my best to show up. I was born with a condition called pectus excavatum — my breastbone caves inward — and after months of tests, we found out it's been pressing on my heart more than anyone realized. My most recent scan showed a corrective index of 40%, meaning my chest is compressed nearly halfway into where it should be. I go in Tuesday at Texas Children's Hospital to get it fixed. The surgery itself is called the Nuss procedure. The surgeons make two small incisions on the sides of my chest and slide 2-4 curved metal bars underneath my sternum to push it back out into its proper position, along with a small incision in the middle of my chest to clean up and reshape some of the cartilage. The bars stay in place for a couple of years while my chest reshapes and heals around them, and then I'll go back in for a second, much smaller surgery down the road to have them removed. This surgery isn't just about how my chest looks — it's about giving my heart and lungs the room they need to finally work the way they're supposed to. For years I've dealt with chest pain, breathlessness, and exhaustion that I just chalked up to normal life as a busy mom. Correcting this is expected to take a real, measurable weight off my heart and change my day-to-day life in a big way — more energy to keep up with my kids, less pain, and honestly, just feeling like myself again. It's not a quick recovery, though. I'll be in the hospital for up to a week, and then come home to strict bed rest with very limited mobility, followed by months of physical therapy — about six months, start to finish, before I'm fully back to myself. I won't be able to work or do much of the day-to-day with the kids during that stretch. So for a while, my husband is going to be holding down the fort — taking care of me and our five amazing kids: Chris (15), Claire (11), Harper (8), Mackenzie (4), and baby Bob (1). Harper also has cystic fibrosis, with her own full plate of treatments and therapies that keep life busy even on a normal week. Our family's scattered all over the world. My best friend — who's also my sister — is stationed overseas right now, and my sister-in-law, another one of my closest friends, is all the way in Alabama. So the people we'd normally lean on are a little further away than usual. Oh — and just for fun, October 6th also happens to be my husband's birthday AND our wedding anniversary. So if you're looking for a reason to send him something nice too, now's your chance. He'll never admit he needs it, but trust me, he does. 😂 A little help goes a long way when you're juggling this much, and honestly, it would mean the world to know people are in our corner. Whether that's a contribution, a meal dropped off, or just sharing our story, thank you from the bottom of my heart. We'll get through this the way we always do — together. To everyone reading this, whatever you're able to offer — a donation, a meal, a prayer, or just a kind word — please know how deeply grateful we are. This community has already shown up for us in more ways than we can count, and we don't take that for granted for a second. Thank you for loving our family so well. We are so, so appreciative of each and every one of you. ❤️ "We are stronger together than apart." "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." — Proverbs 31:25 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." — Romans 8:28