ABOUT DOLORES
A brief and beautiful life
Dolores Margaret Mary was born on August 3, 2026, at 2:56 in the morning, weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces. She was a beloved daughter, a precious little sister, and an incredible gift.
Before she was born, Dolores was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. This means that the left side of her heart did not develop fully and would not be able to function as a normal heart. This rare diagnosis does have a path forward that has seen children go on to live long lives. However, the path is hard and requires 3 open-heart surgeries in the first year or two of life. It requires a very strong set of lungs for the surgeries to be successful and generally a long recovery road in the hospital. Dolores' lungs were unfortunately damaged and led the doctors to believe she might not survive the first day of birth. Pat and Jen chose to have hope in a path forward and receive her with open hearts—to cherish every moment, to care for her tenderly, and to entrust her life to God.
Dolores was born at 3am on August 3, 2026 via natural birth, baptized shortly after Patrick and immediately went into a procedure that allowed her to attempt to qualify for the first surgery. During her twenty-three days, she was surrounded by her parents, siblings, grandparents, extended family, friends, nurses, doctors, and a community joined in prayer.
Dolores went peacefully into Jesus’s embrace on August 26, 2026, held in her parent's arms. Her life was short, but powerful. Her family and all those who walked the journey with her continues to carry her with them through grief, in gratitude, in faith, and in love. She has taught us so much and is a mighty prayer warrior for us now.