On A Positive Note: Local boy with rare heart defect uses Make-A-Wish for violin lessons
KENNEDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Fred Poe of Kennedy Township loves music.
"Whenever I play music, it makes me happy inside and makes me calm and relaxed," he said.
And the 9-year-old certainly deserves an abundance of relaxation and happiness. He has a condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Essentially, he was born without the left side of his heart. As an infant and toddler, he spent months in the hospital.
After his fourth open-heart surgery in 2019, his aunt, also a talented musician, nominated him for a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To the delight and surprise of his family, his wish was to learn to play the violin.
It's the first time the charitable organization received a wish for music lessons.
The non-profit connected Fred and his mother Kimberly to the Givi School of Music, owned and operated by Regina Givi. Teacher and student now have a meaningful and touching bond.
"That internal happiness, that ray of sunshine and energy that he possesses, and I know this might sound a little cliché, but I almost feel he was an angel put into my life to remind me what's important and he inspires me and teaches me more than I taught him," Regina said.
His mother has always been open and honest when talking about the severity of her son's medical condition.
"You know, he has asked me the hard questions of 'What happens if I die, Mom?' And it was hard to have those conversations, but it's because of the faith the two of us have and the faith we have been surrounded by his whole life," Kimberly said.
"The goal for him is to have the best life he can with what he has."
