WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the U.S., but it’s also common in children. About one in every 100 children have a heart problem. One child who was diagnosed with multiple heart defects right after she was born is now defying the odds.

“It’s just scary, and it’s something that I will carry with me forever,” said Rachel Schumacher.

But now, Schumacher carries it with resiliency, advocacy, and hope.

“As scary as it is having a heart baby, it’s also pretty magnificent. You get to see true beauty in strength and drive and tenacity,” she said.

Schumacher’s now 3-year-old daughter Georgie was diagnosed with five congenital heart defects at just seven days old.

“She was a new nurse practitioner, and she found Georgie’s murmu,r and while filling out discharge paperwork, decided to go ahead and order that echocardiogram,” said Schumacher.

Open heart surgery 10 days later saved her life. Without that intervention, Schumacher says Georgie wouldn’t have survived.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows congenital heart disease impacts nearly 1% of births or 40,000 babies every year. One in four babies born with it has a critical heart defect, and while some are detected before birth, others are not found until later, like Georgie.

“It’s much more prevalent than people often recognize. And I think it’s important to talk about it so that when people may experience symptoms, that things feel a little bit off, that they seek help,” said Schumacher.

As for Georgie, Schumacher is grateful for her lively and loving spirit.

“She’s doing very well now. She has a very healthy heart, and she’s growing and doing very well,” said Schumacher.