Hi Everyone! Thank you all for your support and emails that our family received during this past year.

After living in the Pediatric ICU for three months, two open heart surgeries and one pacemaker later, I am very happy to tell you that Achilles is doing well and thriving and just celebrated his first birthday!! In appreciation of all the support we received, we had a birthday celebration by holding the first annual Triumph of Achilles Toy Drive benefiting the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. All gifts were donated directly to the children hospitalized and we were able to send a message of hope to each and every family. Over 200 people attended the birthday party, held at Kids Abilities in Minnesota and we had Mariachi bands, moonwalks, carnival games, cotton candy, sno cones, popcorn, hot dogs, lemonade, and Gluten-free cupcakes from Cooqi Bakery. We had a parent give away of signed memorabilia from the Minnesota Wild. Sponsors from Every Baby Company & FAO Schwartz, Cooqi, Kids Abilities, and the National Hockey League helped to make it an incredible day and celebration. The toy drive was a complete success and I'm sure that next year, it will be even bigger!

Achilles is doing very well and is as cute as ever. He loves playing with soccer balls and showing much aptitude towards athletics while enjoying Rap music, Hip Hop and R & B, as a nod to his East Harlem, NYC roots! He is playing the drums and piano and loving Eebee and Teletubbies. His dada is in Sydney, getting ready for the Games in Beijing and I (Achilles' mama) am currently writing a book on a mother's journey with Congenital Heart Defects.

It hasn't been an easy year, but it has BEEN OUR YEAR, and we got through it. Twice daily Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy has Achilles cruising and meeting his milestones. And it amazes me that every heartbeat is made by a machine placed inside of him - he will probably outlive most of his peers to the ripe old age of AT LEAST 120 and we hope he continues to thrive as he proves to us all that our potential is limitless.

Achilles is indeed Triumphant!!

Thank you all for your support and feel free to email me anytime: ali@gochampgo.com

Thanks for watching!

Todd, Achilles and Ali