Whenever I think about Kiran’s open heart surgery – his first, as we now know with greater certainty – my stomach completely drops, I feel ill, my heart races, my eyes fill….

And yet, we are so lucky we have been given the gift of a very clear path on which to walk.  There is no doubt Dr. Hanley is the right surgeon for Kiran’s heart.  He is the man who pioneered the surgery – called unifocalization – that Kiran requires.  He is the best.  People have come from other countries to have him operate.  And Tuesday was not the first time we had heard his name.

No matter the outcome, we will always know we gave Kiran the very best chance we could possibly give him.  So even though it is scary, to be told we need to travel to a top surgeon due to the complexity of Kiran’s heart; it is also comforting, knowing he will be in the best hands.

Now that we know our path, I both want a surgery date and don’t want one.  I wish we could push it off another year, and I wish it could happen tomorrow.  I have such conflicting feelings around it, because I can’t predict how things will go.

Here is what I know and what I will keep saying: Kiran is a tough fighter, and Dr. Hanley is the absolute best surgeon for him.  These truths, along with all of the support we have from all of you, are what give me hope in the midst of all the fear.