Emily Thomas Foundation

Let's talk about something nobody tells you in the diagnosis room.
Tetralogy of Fallot is not a one time event.
It is not —
surgery done.
Chapter closed.
Move on.
For so many TOF warriors —
it is a lifelong journey.
And the families living it deserve a world that understands what that actually means.
The surgeries.
Most TOF babies have open heart surgery in infancy.
To repair the defects.
To improve blood flow.
To give that small heart a fighting chance.
And that surgery is extraordinary.
Life saving.
A miracle made possible by decades of research and the hands of surgeons who chose the hardest possible work.
But for many warriors —
it is not the last surgery.
There are additional repairs.
Valve replacements.
Cardiac catheterizations.
Procedures that span years.
Decades.
A lifetime of returning to operating rooms they never fully left behind.
Daily life with TOF.
Because life with this diagnosis doesn't pause between procedures.
It continues.
Every single day.
With medications that become as routine as breakfast.
With echocardiograms and MRIs that mark the passage of time differently than birthdays do.
With fatigue that shows up uninvited.
With arrhythmias that remind you — suddenly and without warning — that the heart is still doing something different than other hearts do.
With exercise limitations that require explanation to coaches and teachers and friends who don't understand why this child has to sit this one out.
With mental and emotional weight that accumulates quietly over years of living inside a body that has required this much attention.
With uncertainty that never fully resolves.
Never fully goes away.
Just becomes something you learn to carry alongside everything else.
And still.
STILL.
TOF warriors get up.
Every morning.
And they live.
Fully.
Fiercely.
With a resilience that is not accidental —
it was built.
In hospital rooms.
In recovery.
In every hard moment they came out the other side of.
They are some of the strongest people you will ever meet in your entire life.
Not because strength came easily.
Because they were given no other option —
and they chose to make something extraordinary out of it anyway.
Every scar on a TOF warrior tells a story.
A story of a surgery they survived.
A team that fought for them.
A family that never left their side.
A heart that kept beating when it had every reason not to.
Every scar is earned.
Every heartbeat matters.
Every single one.
This community sees every TOF warrior.
Not just on surgery day.
On the ordinary Tuesdays too.
The hard ones.
The uncertain ones.
The ones nobody posts about.
We see all of it.
And we are not going anywhere.

Drop a 💙 for every TOF warrior who is living proof that the fight is worth it.
Tell us your warrior's name in the comments. Let's fill this space with them. 💙
Follow Invisible Warriors — we share the moments nobody else talks about. So no heart family ever feels alone. 💙

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DtRb1irBZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr&direct_share_include_copy=1&fb_entity_type=newsfeed

Let's talk about something nobody tells you in the diagnosis room.
Tetralogy of Fallot is not a one time event.
It is not —
surgery done.
Chapter closed.
Move on.
For so many TOF warriors —
it is a lifelong journey.
And the families living it deserve a world that understands what that actually means.
The surgeries.
Most TOF babies have open heart surgery in infancy.
To repair the defects.
To improve blood flow.
To give that small heart a fighting chance.
And that surgery is extraordinary.
Life saving.
A miracle made possible by decades of research and the hands of surgeons who chose the hardest possible work.
But for many warriors —
it is not the last surgery.
There are additional repairs.
Valve replacements.
Cardiac catheterizations.
Procedures that span years.
Decades.
A lifetime of returning to operating rooms they never fully left behind.
Daily life with TOF.
Because life with this diagnosis doesn't pause between procedures.
It continues.
Every single day.
With medications that become as routine as breakfast.
With echocardiograms and MRIs that mark the passage of time differently than birthdays do.
With fatigue that shows up uninvited.
With arrhythmias that remind you — suddenly and without warning — that the heart is still doing something different than other hearts do.
With exercise limitations that require explanation to coaches and teachers and friends who don't understand why this child has to sit this one out.
With mental and emotional weight that accumulates quietly over years of living inside a body that has required this much attention.
With uncertainty that never fully resolves.
Never fully goes away.
Just becomes something you learn to carry alongside everything else.
And still.
STILL.
TOF warriors get up.
Every morning.
And they live.
Fully.
Fiercely.
With a resilience that is not accidental —
it was built.
In hospital rooms.
In recovery.
In every hard moment they came out the other side of.
They are some of the strongest people you will ever meet in your entire life.
Not because strength came easily.
Because they were given no other option —
and they chose to make something extraordinary out of it anyway.
Every scar on a TOF warrior tells a story.
A story of a surgery they survived.
A team that fought for them.
A family that never left their side.
A heart that kept beating when it had every reason not to.
Every scar is earned.
Every heartbeat matters.
Every single one.
This community sees every TOF warrior.
Not just on surgery day.
On the ordinary Tuesdays too.
The hard ones.
The uncertain ones.
The ones nobody posts about.
We see all of it.
And we are not going anywhere.

Drop a 💙 for every TOF warrior who is living proof that the fight is worth it.
Tell us your warrior's name in the comments. Let's fill this space with them. 💙
Follow Invisible Warriors — we share the moments nobody else talks about. So no heart family ever feels invisible or alone. 💙

#

https://www.facebook.com/share/16HkMMYtsa/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.wbrc.com/2025/08/18/more-than-4700-students-alabama-repeat-3rd-grade/

More than 4,700 students in Alabama to repeat the 3rd grade WBRC now knows how many third graders did not move on to the fourth grade this school year- because they scored below reading level on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) reading exam even after retaking the exam during summer camp.

📚 Alabama’s Reading Crisis: Thousands of Children Falling Behind

This year, more than 4,700 third graders across Alabama are being held back because they haven’t reached the required reading level. That’s nearly 1 in 12 children statewide.

Reading by third grade is a critical milestone — it’s the bridge between learning to read and reading to learn. When a child falls behind here, it impacts every subject that follows, and can shape their future in powerful ways.

Some districts, like Hoover and Jasper, show that strong intervention programs work. With extra tutors, reading camps, and family support, they’ve reduced retention to just a handful of students. But in many areas, children are slipping through the cracks.

💡 This is not just a school issue — it’s a community issue. Together, we can:

Volunteer time to help with reading programs.

Donate books and resources to after-school and summer programs.

Advocate for stronger support systems for struggling readers.

Encourage families to stay engaged with summer reading opportunities.

Every child deserves the chance to succeed. 🌟

More than 4,700 students in Alabama to repeat the 3rd grade WBRC now knows how many third graders did not move on to the fourth grade this school year- because they scored below reading level on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) reading exam even after retaking the exam during summer camp.

Kendra Scott Fundraiser Information coming soon!

So Thankful and Grateful for all who support The Emily Thomas Foundation Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Emily Thomas Foundation collected essentials for children who were victims of Helene. Backpacks filled with hats, socks toys, juice, boxes, crackers, crayons, and coloring books. Along with children’s blankets, hand warmers, flashlights, batteries, Tylenol, baby formula and sleeping bags. 

Helping Kids Of Hurricane Helene When crisis strikes, children are always among the most vulnerable. The Emily Thomas Foundation wants to help children from the Hurricane that need our help.