Meet Juliana. She's a survivor, a warrior, and she is turning ONE!!!! Read about her incredible story below. 

 The following information was provided by her mom. 

Juliana was diagnosed in utero with congenital heart disease (unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta) and heterotaxy syndrome. Knowing in advance gave us time to prepare for her arrival and we carefully made the decision that she would be delivered and cared for at the Medical University of South Carolina. Fortunately, we were able to relocate to Charleston and wait for her arrival. Our girl was born on August 24, 2019! Throughout the first year of her life she endured 2 open heart surgeries and spent 114 days in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit under the expertise and loving care of her team of doctors, nurses and support staff.

Juliana is our HEART WARRIOR! Despite all of the battles she fought, she radiates JOY!  She is trusting and sweet and loves to play, laugh and make people smile. We hope to reach as many as we can with Juliana's message - no matter what you are going through, you can always choose to be joyful. #joyforjuliana

Beads of Courage is an arts-in-medicine program that partners with hospitals to create a visual way for a child to document their illness. Juliana’s beads are a reminder of what she endured while receiving treatment; each bead represents a part of her care - yellow for an overnight hospital stay, red for a blood transfusion, black for a needle poke, etc. Since she was a newborn when her heart journey began, these beads will be a tangible way for her to tell her story.