
Cameron
Barb,
a
6-year-old
kindergarten
student
at
Kyle
Wilson
Elementary
School,
has
won
more
battles
in
his
short
life
than
many
people
face
in
a
lifetime.
He
was
born
with
a
congenital
heart
defect
(CHD).
In
celebration
of
February's
Heart
Health
Month
observance,
he
shared
his
story
with
fellow
students
in
Cortyne
Sumter's
class.
Cameron's
very
rare
and
complex
CHD
is
hypoplastic
left
heart
syndrome
(HLHS).
The
left
side
of
his
heart
was
underdeveloped.
After
his
birth
at
Medstar
Washington
Hospital
Center
in
Washington,
D.C.,
alongside
twin
sister
Stella,
he
was
immediately
transported
to
Children's
National
Medical
Center.
At
3-days
old
he
had
his
first
open
heart
surgery,
followed
by
a
second
operation
at
4-months-old,
and
then
a
third
at
2-years-old.
He
may
need
further
surgeries
and
interventions
later
in
life.
Cameron's
mother,
Jessica
Barb,
twin
sister
Stella,
and
older
sister
Kennadie,
helped
with
the
presentation
to
his
class.
They
read
David
Humphreys'
"Zip-Line,"
a
children's
book
that
tells
young
open-heart
surgery
patients
about
their
large
chest
scar.
They
also
read
"Only
You
Can
be
You:
What
Makes
You
Different
Makes
You
Great"
by
Nathan
and
Sally
Clarkson.
This
story
teaches
kindness
and
encourages
children
to
embrace
differences.
"I
feel
it
is
my
responsibility
as
an
educator
to
teach/grow
the
best
little
people
possible.
I
always
tell
my
students,
people
may
forget
what
you
tell
them,
but
they
will
never
forget
how
kind
you
treat
them.
This
is
a
lesson
I
hope
they
leave
kindergarten
with,"
Sumter
shared.
Barb
and
Sumter
hope
that
Cameron's
story
will
also
help
students
understand
the
importance
of
fundraising
for
charities
such
as
the
American
Heart
Association
(AHA).
In
the
past
three
years,
Kyle
Wilson
Elementary
has
raised
over
$20,000
for
the
AHA
through
their
Jump
Rope
for
Heart
donation
drive.
The
AHA
provides
doctors
with
knowledge
and
resources
to
help
children
like
Cameron.