KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsMother starts website for congenital heart defect awareness

Congenital heart disease is the most common form of birth defect, occurring in one out of every 100 live births. It can be hard on families, but now one mother is turning her loss into help for others.

Misty Ferris is a proud mom, showing off her son's photos. "Kayden had a personality that no one could have. No matter what he went through, he was strong," said Misty. Three-year-old Kayden James had a congenital heart defect. The toddler went through surgery to fix a heart valve, but it didn't hold. "From where he had the cardiomyopathy, his heart was just too big and his heart function was so bad that it made the valve repair come apart and the only option was transplant," said Misty. Kayden died waiting for a heart transplant. "It was hard to come home from the hospital that morning and actually sit my five year old down and explain your brother's not coming home," said Misty.

Still dealing with the loss, the mom is on a mission, starting "Kayden's Heartprints," a memorial fund helping other families affected by congenital heart defects. "It's going to help other families who are going through what we had to, with either hospital stays, gas to get back and forth to the hospital stuff like that, or even after their child passes away," said Misty. And she's spreading awareness, with a new blog, memorial page, and Facebook. "For other parents, they need to know the warning signs. With telling Kayden's story, I hope his life will change someone else's life. I hope someone will learn from what I went through. Hopefully their outcome will be different." said Misty.

Some of the symptoms include, abnormal heart rhythms, a bluish tint to the skin, shortness of breath, getting tired quickly, dizziness, or fainting. Most children with congenital heart disease do not have other types of birth defects. However, heart defects can be part of genetic and chromosome syndromes... some of which can be passed down through families.