According to the Children’s Heart Foundation, nearly 1 in 100 children are born with a congenital heart defect.
Zipperstrong is a photography project founded by SheRae Hunter, which showcases the surgery scars of children born with these heart conditions. These scars are also known as their “zippers.”
“It was kind of eye opening because I did not know that there were so many kids that dealt with heart issues. Their conditions were not just inconvenient, they were life threatening,” said photographer SheRae Hunter.
Renee Lang is a mom of two and the communications director for the Pediatric Congenital Heart Association. Her oldest daughter was born with a heart condition and her youngest daughter was born heart healthy.
“This is my daughter Evelyn. Evelyn is 4 years old and she is my heart warrior. My husband is also a heart warrior as well. So I kind of come to this community from a couple of different kind of ways,” said Pediatric Congenital Heart Association communications director Renee Lang.
The project is in its fourth year and they plan on doing an adult version in the near future.
