Ten-year-old Lorelei McIntyre-Brewer has already faced more than most of us will in our lifetime.
Lorelei was born missing half of her heart, for which there is no cure, and her twin brother, Rory, passed away before the two were able to meet. She underwent open heart surgery shortly after her birth at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Two more open heart surgeries would follow, and with her third, she fought her hardest battle yet. Lorelei’s lungs collapsed and she started to literally drown in fluid surrounding her heart and lungs. After a long, grueling recovery, Lorelei survived her ordeal, but it changed her forever. She became determined to make a difference.
At 5, she learned to sew in order to make compression heart pillows for pediatric open heart patients, aiding in their recovery from surgery. She named her organization Heart Hugs and it spread like wildfire.
Heart Hugs works with children’s hospitals, orphanages, and individual families to provide these pillows at no cost to the patient and family, utilizing the kindness of volunteers around the world to help Lorelei ensure no child is turned away.
In addition to undergoing 21 medical procedures to date, Lorelei has also endured seven military-related relocations and has experienced a total of 36 months of her father being deployed. Lorelei’s favorite quote is “No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.” Explaining how that quote applies to her, Lorelei said, “I can be so many things and help so many people as long as I stay focused.”
No one would fault Lorelei for taking time for herself and focusing on her extraordinary challenges, but Lorelei is not even thinking about slowing down. As she explained, “I am missing half of my heart and people sometimes think I can’t do anything, but I can.” And she does. Lorelei maintains a 4.0 grade point average in school and also dedicates a great deal of time to causes dear to her. She participates in the Single Ventricle Survivorship Program, the Cardiac Kids Developmental Follow-Up Program, and the Single Ventricle Revision Study Program. Lorelei also helps with the program “Socks for Vets,” created by her brother Cavan, who was our 2015 Army Military Child of the Year.
Lorelei is the daughter of Michelle McIntyre-Brewer and Medical Service Corps Officer Capt. Steven Brewer.
For the next week, we will be shining a spotlight on each of our Military Child of the Year Award recipients, as well as the first ever recipient of the Operation Homefront-Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Award. Be sure to check back daily or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates. In addition, throughout the months of April and May, we invite you to show your appreciation by sending a message of thanks and sharing #Mission2Honor with your friends and family.
Our heartfelt thanks to our presenting sponsor United Technologies, and all of our 2016 Military Child of the Year Award sponsors, for making this annual award one of the highlights of our year. Your support allows us to bring the stories of our military families to the forefront, making a difference in raising awareness of the challenges they face in protecting our nation.
