Big News

Guess who is going to be the GRAND MARSHALL for the Odessa Heart Walk!!!!!!!!
You guessed it! Bryson! AND.....he is the "poster child" for a private school in Midland and they want him to come and make an appearance. Next thing you know he will need a P.R. person and a calendar and an Iphone! LOL! Anyway, I am so proud of him! Below is the text part of the email that was sent out to everyone. I couldn't get the pictures in there but there was one from when he was sick and one from now.


Bryson Young was born on September 17, 2009 to Mark
and Amy Young of Odessa. Bryson has two older brothers,
Riley and Kory. Many of you may know Amy, she has
been an employed with ECISD for over seventeen years.
Bryson was born with Transposition of the Great
Arteries (TGA), coarctation of the aorta, ventricular septal
defect (VSD) and Taussing Bing (DORV VSD). Shortly
after Bryson was born, he was life flighted to Dallas
Children’s Hospital, where he would spend the next four
months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Bryson’s Mom, Amy started a Journal for Bryson, so that
when he was old enough she could read him the
day-to-day challenges he had overcome. Then he would
know what a miracle he truly was. I read Amy’s book
Bryson’s Journey and from the forward I was hooked.
Amy wrote in the forward “ I had so many; many
pictures in my head of what our future would be like.
But then one day I quit writing in Bryson’s journal.
I felt stupid writing in it because there was a chance
that he would never read it. Instead I carried around
a piece of paper in my wallet for a funeral home, so that when he passed I wouldn't have to scramble to find someone to cremate his body. There is nothing quite as painful in the world as losing hope, especially when it involves your child.”
Bryson was fourteen days old when he underwent open heart surgery to repair his heart defects. His recovery was long and each day was met with challenges. Bryson was dependent on a ventilator for his every breath. Over the weeks, Bryson slowly grew stronger. Today you would never know what he has been through if it weren’t for the numerous scars that cover his body. Bryson visits his pediatric cardiologist twice
a year and could need more surgeries and procedures as his heart grows, but for now he is a thriving, adorable two-year-old boy who is full of
energy and life.
The American Heart Association is proud to have Bryson Young as
The Grand Marshall of the 2011 Odessa Heart Walk.
Please join Bryson, the Young Family and ECISD at the 2011 Odessa Heart Walk on October 29th at Mission Fitness. Join Bryson’s Team “Heartbeats for Bryson” or start your own campus team today! Help us make a difference in the future of children like Bryson.

Bryson’s Journey, is a book written by Amy Young and details the roller coaster ride of her
son’s harrowing fight for life. This book is available by contacting Amy.young@ectorcountyisd.org. All proceeds from the book go directly to the American Heart Association. Please contact
Sharon Rhea, AHA Youth Market Director at 325-829-9302 for any questions, fundraising ideas
or supplies.