Why We Walk ❤️
Our brave 7½-year-old son, Joey, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a complex congenital heart defect that required two open-heart surgeries during his first year of life — a Norwood at just 4 days old and a Glenn at 4 months old. On August 18, 2022, Joey reached another incredible milestone: he became a Fontan survivor, and we are beyond grateful for every day we get to watch him grow, laugh, play, and simply be Joey.
Our family has participated in the Big Hearts to Little Hearts Walk since 2019, the year Joey was born. What started as a way to support our son has become something much bigger — a tradition, a community, and a mission that means so much to all of us.
We walk for Joey. But we also walk for so many others.
1. We walk to honor Joey’s journey.
Joey has endured more in his first seven years than most people will experience in a lifetime. His strength, resilience, and joy inspire us every day. Walking together as Not Your Average Joe is our way of celebrating how far he has come and the incredible gift of his life.
2. We walk to raise awareness.
Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, yet so many people have never heard of HLHS or understand what these little heart warriors and their families face. Through Joey, we found a heart community we never knew existed — one we are incredibly grateful to be a part of. We want to help make sure other families don’t feel alone when they suddenly find themselves on this unexpected journey.
3. We walk to support research and the future of heart kids.
Every dollar raised helps advance pediatric cardiac research, improve treatments, and give children born with congenital heart defects a better chance at longer, healthier lives. The surgeries and care that saved Joey’s life are possible because families, doctors, researchers, and communities chose to invest in these little hearts. We want to help pay that forward.
4. We walk to spread love and hope.
Our heart journey has taught us that sometimes the smallest hearts create the biggest communities. We walk alongside other heart families, celebrate their victories, remember those we have lost, and send hope to the families just beginning this journey.
Last year, our Not Your Average Joe team raised nearly $20,000. We are incredibly humbled by the generosity of everyone who continues to stand behind Joey and our heart community.
This year, we walk again — for Joey, for every heart warrior, for the families who walk beside us, and for the little hearts who haven’t been born yet.
Thank you for helping us raise awareness, fund research, spread love, and give hope. ❤️