Myanna Kempton has a big heart — one that required open-heart
surgery when she was 5 months old for two congenital heart defects. The
7-year-old has had two other surgeries since then for a release of her tethered
spine and a hernia. She knows how scary it can be in the hospital, so she wants
to bring a smile to the faces of those facing similar surgeries at Inova
Children’s Hospital in Falls Church. MyannasHeart, started in April by her mom,
Sheri, provides tote bags with gifts for newborn to 12-year-old heart surgery
patients.
MyannasHeart has distributed more than 50 bags since May. They have
mailed a few across the country. Each age- and gender-specific tote costs $25
to assemble and includes toys, crayons, puzzles, crafts, blankets and a
customized t-shirt designed by Myanna that reads “I am STRONGER than my Storm.”
Each bag includes an item close to Myanna’s heart — a TY Inc. horse Beanie Boo.
Myanna participates in equine therapy in Fredericksburg. “She
loves her horse therapy and thinks the horses will make everyone happy,” said
Sheri. Myanna drew a picture and wrote a note to TY, the manufacturers, along
with a note from her Mom that described the tote bags and asked for a discount
rate. Instead, TY donated more than 400 Beanie Boos, which Sheri said should last
two years.
Sheri said Myanna feels good about providing these totes. She
even received a certificate recognizing her efforts from the hospital.
“Myanna is taking all the negative things that have happened to
her and doesn’t want other children to be sad in the hospital,” she said.
“Myanna has special needs, so a lot of it’s hard for her.”
Sheri is working on turning MyannasHeart into a nonprofit. To
raise funds, MyannasHeart collected shoes from mid-May through mid-July for
Funds2Orgs, which collects the shoes for developing nations. In exchange for
shoes, Funds2Orgs will provide money to MyannasHeart.
With the help of their parish, Church of the Nativity in Burke,
her school and the community, MyannasHeart collected more than 3,100 pairs of
shoes. “People from the parish were amazing, bringing bags and bags of shoes,”
she said. “The collection went on for weeks.”
The parish community embraces Myanna, said Sheri. The pastor, Father
Robert C. Cilinski, greets Myanna with a handshake or a hug when he processes
into Mass.
Myanna will participate in the first Special Religious
Development class at Nativity. “She’ll be able to do what she needs to do to
get her sacraments, and that’s a great thing,” said Sheri.
Father Cilinski said Myanna is “an impressive little girl and
(MyannasHeart) is a beautiful outreach to those facing heart surgery.”
Find out more
Go to myannasheart.com, or email [email protected]. A fundraiser is scheduled to celebrate Myanna’s seventh
anniversary of heart surgery Sept. 18, 5-9 p.m. at Ledo’s Pizza, 8324 Old Keene
Mill Road, Springfield.
