One of the benefits of being home with Rudy these past 9 months is the chance I’ve had to s-l-o-w-l-y reacquaint myself with my shop after a year-long hiatus. I’ve always enjoyed the creative process of my jewelry making and silversmithing but, as with everything, it has taken on even greater meaning for me since having Rudy home.

Shortly after Rudy’s diagnosis, I was inspired to make a special pendant that represents Rudy’s half (but still beautiful) heart…a perfect companion to the “Mama’s Heart” design I was already offering on my website. I’m finally ready to unveil “Rudy’s Heart” and I wanted our Rudy’s Beat friends to be the first to see it! I’m making them available for purchase on my website www.silverbytrish.com with our profit on each sale going to Camp del Corazon…a wonderful organization that provides rich camp experiences for children living with heart disease. Rudy will be eligible to go the summer of 2015!! Check out their site when you have a minutewww.campdelcorazon.org. It’s an organization we feel drawn to support not only because of the people for whom it exists but also because of the people who are involved…many of Rudy’s CT doctors and nurses volunteer their time to be counselors at the camp each year so the children are not only assured a FUN time but also a SAFE one as fully-equipped infirmaries are set up at camp to care for the kids’ special health needs.

HLHS may define a big part of who Rudy is and how it affects our son may be completely out of our control but there is something empowering about the process of creating (literally forming with my hands) our own symbol of HLHS and using it to help bring a little joy into the lives of kids like Rudy. As the character Flint Lockwood says in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs…”We’ve got diem to carpe!” And seize it we will…