Hope Begins with One Heart

Project 717 was founded on a simple belief: every child deserves comfort, every family deserves support, and no one should face a congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosis alone.

We partner with hospitals and the CHD community to provide adaptive clothing, comfort kits, family resources, and meaningful connections that bring hope during life’s most challenging moments.

What began as one family’s journey has grown into a mission to serve heart warriors and their loved ones everywhere. Every program we create, every family we support, and every act of kindness we share is rooted in compassion, resilience, and the belief that hope can make all the difference.

The heart behind Project 717 is a little girl named Andi. Her extraordinary journey inspired this mission and continues to guide everything we do. We invite you to meet the heart warrior whose legacy is bringing comfort and hope to families across the CHD community.

Andi’s Story

We were overjoyed when we learned we were expecting Andi Faye on November 10, 2024, after years of trying to become parents. Our excitement grew as we heard her heartbeat for the first time and shared the news with family and friends.

In April 2025, our journey changed when doctors discovered that Andi had a severecongenital heart defect. On May 1, she was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left HeartSyndrome (HLHS), along with additional complications that made her condition far morecomplex than typical HLHS cases. We were told her only chance for survival would be aheart transplant.

The months leading up to her birth were filled with consultations, planning, and prayer. Weconnected with other families who had walked similar paths and found hope in theirstories.

Andi Faye was born on July 17, 2025. Within minutes, she was transferred to Children’sHealth in Dallas, where she began an extraordinary fight for her life. At just one day old, sheunderwent her first surgery. At six days old, she endured a second open-heart surgery toplace a single ventricle assist device (SVAD) and was officially accepted as a hearttransplant candidate.

Over the next several months, Andi faced countless procedures, infections, and medical challenges with remarkable strength and courage. On December 17, we received the call we had been praying for—a donor heart was available. Her transplant took place onDecember 20.

Although the surgery was technically successful, Andi’s new heart never fully recovered. After fighting bravely through every obstacle, we said goodbye to our sweet girl on January 9, 2026.

In her five months and three weeks, Andi taught us more than we could have imagined. Sheshowed us what true strength, resilience, and unconditional love look like. She made us parents, advocates, and stronger people. Andi was a warrior, and because of her, our lives are forever changed. Her legacy will continue to inspire us to help other children and families facing congenital heart disease.