Back when my dog was still with me (put to sleep at 17yrs for congestive heart failure, btw) when we went out in my convertible, and had to park somewhere, I brought along a big golf umbrella and left the roof down so he'd have some place out of the sun and still get cool air.

My daughter HAS had congestive heart failure [3 times] and sat on ECMO for 8 days, as we wondered if she would make it out alive and then sat by for another 10 more days fully uncertain of any residual severe brain damage [of which none thankfully proved evident]. I have a video of her watching me record her own heart beating away under a thin plastic film, only to hold that diseased mass in my own hands a few years later. My daughter was born with a congenital heart defect [HLHS], and has undergone a number of surgeries and dramas to spin the hours on cable news...I mean real Dramas. In short, she is weeks away from the one-year anniversary of her 2nd heart transplant...and we are feeling that terror gripping again. What 'gripping terror', you may ask. Well, it's really complicated, this Medical Child In The Family thing.

And that's my point, that no real compelling bit of information was shared. It is FREAKY complicated, and this does nothing to tell their/her story...It just says, "there is this young child that needed an heart transplant and the family was scared about something and the mother is somehow to blame for her "thing"...bummer another child has to die first...and they lived happily ever after. [you can send us money here]". This is also a relatively ho-hum story, as medical dramas with children go, if that is really all to the story...which it isn't, I'd suspect. But why, then bother to tell it. There are some real issues in this MCITF thing. What did you learn from this? About Penny?

@oblio70 it's the 3rd part of a documentary series called 8lives....and so far it's the only one with a link....it is my belief that the filmmakers became somewhat emotionally involved in this highly personal story and felt compelled to help out with this familys rapidly increasing mountain of medical bills....i highly doubt that this is some great fly-by-night sympathy swindle....I don't see the link as being any different than a change jar on a convenient store counter asking for contributions to some kids chemotherapy.....she probably isn't any cuter than your own kid, so here's hoping that your kid never has congestive heart failure.....i would hate for you to look back on your cynical rant with regret....

>> ^peggedbea:
i for one am outraged at this post. stop eating junk food and walk somewhere?!???!! what is this europe?! or worse yet, canada?!??!!
type 2 diabetes in the most american disease yet and i plan to prove how patriotic i am by developing this before 30.
also, knee replacements, back surgery, congestive heart failure, hypertension... all in my future. thats how much i love this great country.


Fun fact: Up here, us crazy canadians don't have a "Butter" dipping sauce for our pizza @_@

i for one am outraged at this post. stop eating junk food and walk somewhere?!???!! what is this europe?! or worse yet, canada?!??!!
type 2 diabetes in the most american disease yet and i plan to prove how patriotic i am by developing this before 30.

also, knee replacements, back surgery, congestive heart failure, hypertension... all in my future. thats how much i love this great country.

More about this video from YouTube:
This is from a documentary shown on Channel 4 in the UK called 'Young@Heart'; the name of the New England octogenarian chorus line. The performer here is Fred Mittle, who suffers from congestive heart failure. This song was intended to be a duet between Fred and another chorus member, Bob Salvini. Sadly, Bob died of a heart attack and it was left to Fred to carry the song on his own. If I'm correct, the people you see crying at 01:13 are Bob's family. The lady you occasionally see mouthing the lyrics in the audience is Fred's wife.

There were some very touching scenes where we see Fred rehearsing alone soon after Bob's death. It was an incredible film. ...