This picture, taken before Ryan’s first Open Heart surgery, was just how his smiles lit up our whole family. I couldn’t have been more proud to become a “big sister”.

My brother, Ryan, was 3 months old when he had his first Open-Heart Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. His second surgery was in early December that same year, 2006.

I don’t see these pictures so much as sad – but more of them showing Ryan on the road to recovery…

He was a baby recovering in a huge bed surrounded by doctors and nurses watching his progress – and with the comfort of toys I’d brought him.

I didn’t know while my mother was pregnant, that my parents already knew about Ryan’s heart condition. I was told about it a few days before he was born, because it was explained to me that he might not come home for a while if he had to have his “broken heart” fixed first.

This photo was taken only a few weeks after Ryan’s first Open Heart Surgery, and he was happy and seemed to be unaware of all the trauma he had been through.

By July 4th, 2006, only about 6 weeks after his first surgery, Ryan was all smiles for my Mom and ready to drive.

The first Halloween that Ryan was old enough to walk, he was ready to show he really was a “Superman”.

His scars are barely visible. There are two, big, overlapping vertical ones and a few other scars from the chest tubes he had during and after the surgeries.

There isn’t anything Ryan doesn’t want to do.

A few years ago, everything was all about trucks and army men. Now it’s PS3 and Minecraft.

Ryan is just like every other little boy – he’s always “ready to roll”…

… and the “life” of every party.

I’m happy to go everywhere with Ryan. We have a very strong bond.

Ryan doesn’t have ANY restrictions from sports or other activities. This photo was taken of us at camp. He does everything every child should do and enjoy.

Through the miracles of surgery and modern medicine – and also Ryan’s determination, he is dedicated to taking part in baseball…

…and martial arts. He’s getting close to becoming a Black Belt and already looking forward to the incredibly difficult hike I just took, because I’m only weeks away from becoming one.

It might be hard for people to understand just how much I appreciate my brother and how protective of him I am. He means the world to me. When he’s next to me, I feel wonderful.

Once a year, Ryan goes into the city with my parents for a day of a lot of medical tests. Once, he was even injected with a dye and put into a machine he described as an “Avatar” machine, so that the doctors could examine his lungs. This picture is not from his testing a week ago (it’s from 2 years ago). A week ago, he had his annual exam, and he and my parents had blood samples taken so that they could take part in a huge study of families, so that experts could try and determine if congenital heart defects are genetic.

My mother is a journalist and owns a newspaper. Every year, in February, she publishes an article she wrote called, “Born With A Broken Heart”. It’s a positive article about our experiences as a family, and with tips for families with children suffering from ailments, and how they can make it through tough times.

Ryan is handsome, and active and everyone who meets him, loves him. He has the sweetest laugh, says the funniest things – and even though he is sometimes shy, once he warms up to someone, his whole personality comes out. He is the best friend I could ever ask for – and will always and forever, be my best friend.