WICU12

Jumping around from one corner of the room to the other, Aubrey Krell is an energetic four-year-old.  CLICK FOR VIDEO  It was a long road to get to this point; one that included three open heart surgeries, three heart catherizations, and two angioplasties.

"I have a hard time believing she only has half a heart," said her father Roy.  "We run around I'll get tired before she does."

Aubrey has hypoplastic left heart syndrome.  While most people have a heart with four chambers, Aubrey only has two.  Her parents found out five months into the pregnancy and had to make some decisions.

"We could take her home and do compassionate care let her pass away, or we could abort her because I was 23 weeks and the cut off was 24 weeks," said her mother Angie.  "They told us to go home and think about it but we already knew what we wanted to do."

The couple from Cambridge Springs chose the third option -- surgery.  Aubrey had to under go multiple surgeries; the first open heart surgery when she was just three days old.  She suffered a stroke as a result. 

"I felt guilty," said Angie. "She was laying the bed with tons of IVs, 20 to 30 medications, wires all over her; her chest was open because of the swelling they had to leave it open and she didn't look like a baby anymore."

Aubrey last surgery was when she was two and a half years ago.  "Now she's four-years-old, feisty, runs around like she's completely normal," said Angie.

The Krells are now hoping to spread their miracle by connecting with other families.  Roy is a teacher at Millcreek Learning Center, and his students are making blankets and pillows for other babies in honor of Congenital Heart Defect Week, which runs Februrary 7th through the 14th.  Roy and Angie asked their state representative to push the bill through the house.  It passed on Tuesday.