"This Is My Story"

[Ton]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35O3E3T3GKQ[/media]



This is the most inspiring video I've ever seen. I have to warn anyone that watches it, you will probably cry. I admit I teared up watching this video. Ben Breedlove had a heart condition known as HCM (Hypertrophic Cardio-Myopathy) which he suffered all his life. The condition finally took his life on Christmas (Dec 25th 2011).



Don't watch this video in a public environment. Not that it's graphic or anything, just the fact that it would be uncomfortable to see since it will definitely strike you emotionally. We truly don't know how lucky all of us really are.



I thought I had to share this, it's unfortunate amazing people like this are left behind while the scum of the world live fruitfully.

 

[supraman]

I watched it a couple days ago. Was a great video, a damn shame he passed away.

 

[TSD]

Not to rain on the parade, had he not had a disease that would ultimately take his life pre-maturely he probably would not have been the person he was.

 

[supraman]

Not to rain on the parade, had he not had a disease that would ultimately take his life pre-maturely he probably would not have been the person he was.

True but I guess it is what it is.

 

[BiscuitintheBasket]

One of my nephews has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which is having a 3 chambered heart, and can be just as deadly if their are many other issues.



He had open heart surgery the first week of his life to remove the malformed 3rd chamber. His first emergency heart monitor in his 2nd week of his life. Was on oxygen for almost the first year of his life. His 2nd open hear surgery just after his first b-day for a bypass. His 2nd emergency heart monitor at age 3. His 3rd, and hopefully last open heart surgery at age 4 to remove the bypass. He just turned 5.



He will never be able to do any real cardio activities, and on and off needs to use oxygen depending on how active he is, and has several meds on hand if there is an issue.





It is tough to know that his life has a high probability of being short. Ben obviously knew this and made the best of it. That has to have been very very hard knowledge for him once he was told. It becomes even tougher when you meet other kids and families dealing with similar issues...moreso, for those that barely made it into their teens.



The amazing thing we have learned is that the medical procedures now are amazingly more advanced than they were even 10 years ago. The team that did the surgeries on my nephew perform one of some type on a monthly basis world wide, and they are not the only team. To me I find it amazing.





Interestingly enough, Ben was not trumpeting his issue for a long time. He was trying to be normal. That video was made in mid-December.