Second Grader Lily B to Sing at Rays Game
April 23, 2015
This Friday night, April 24, second grader Lily B. has been invited to be the soloist in singing the Canadian National Anthem at the Tampa Bay Rays vs the Toronto Blue Jays game. Both teams are excited to share in Lily’s dream (and have a special surprise for her!)
Lily B was born in Xuzhou, China, with Tetrogly of Fallot, a rare, complex heart defect that occurs in about 5 out of every 10,000 babies. At the age of two months old she was abandoned at the Xuzhou City Hospital. She was then brought to an orphanage where she spent the next 12 months laying on her back and fighting for her life.
When Lily was adopted at the age of 14 months she was critically ill. Two weeks after she was brought to the US, she had emergency open heart surgery at Seattle Children's Hospital. Last year, Lily and her family moved to St. Petersburg where she attends Shorecrest as a 2nd grader. Because of Lily's heart condition she will need to undergo another open heart surgery in the next few years and will always be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
Lily’s congenital heart defect has left her with health issues that she will struggle with her entire life. But Lily is a fighter and she is living her dream of becoming a singer! Last year, at the age of 7, Lily was the youngest member of the Tampa Bay Children’s Chorus. Come on out to the ballgame and support a Charger!
Lily B was born in Xuzhou, China, with Tetrogly of Fallot, a rare, complex heart defect that occurs in about 5 out of every 10,000 babies. At the age of two months old she was abandoned at the Xuzhou City Hospital. She was then brought to an orphanage where she spent the next 12 months laying on her back and fighting for her life.
When Lily was adopted at the age of 14 months she was critically ill. Two weeks after she was brought to the US, she had emergency open heart surgery at Seattle Children's Hospital. Last year, Lily and her family moved to St. Petersburg where she attends Shorecrest as a 2nd grader. Because of Lily's heart condition she will need to undergo another open heart surgery in the next few years and will always be at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
The fact is, congenital heart defects are the number-one birth defect – and the leading cause of birth defect-related deaths worldwide. But awareness is low – and that’s taking a toll. One in every 125 babies is born with a CHD every year in the United States alone. CHDs kill twice as many children as childhood cancer. Still, pregnant women are not routinely tested and newborns are not routinely screened for CHDs. Consequently, they often go undetected until sometime after birth. In some cases, they are detected too late.
Lily’s congenital heart defect has left her with health issues that she will struggle with her entire life. But Lily is a fighter and she is living her dream of becoming a singer! Last year, at the age of 7, Lily was the youngest member of the Tampa Bay Children’s Chorus. Come on out to the ballgame and support a Charger!
![Commotion in the Ocean with First Grade [Video, Photos]](/Images/1px.png?command_1=url&url_1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shorecrest.org/userfiles/shpsv2mvc/images/news-images/commotionocean2024.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Commotion in the Ocean with First Grade [Video, Photos]")
