The Mebane Family

At 39 he survived a major heart attack, and endured several surgeries to receive five stents. David and Kelly’s children, Weston and Caroline, seem unfazed.

But one evening in May 2017 when Weston was 11 and Caroline was 9, it became clear that they needed support.

David was invited so speak at an American Heart Association event. A video interview that the couple had previously recorded was shown during the gala dinner. In the video, Kelly and David spoke about how scary it was for them to go through the experience of David’s heart attacks and his unknown health future.

“Weston just started sobbing at the table during the video,” shared Kelly. “I was really surprised; I didn’t know that he was hurting so much.”

David and Kelly didn’t realize how much David’s illness was impacting their children, which is common, as children often try to stay strong in front of their parents.

“We didn’t see it at the time, but Weston’s grades were slipping and he was having trouble socially. He hid it so well.” said Kelly. “Now, he comes home with wonderful grades and is just thriving. And so is Caroline.”

“I love that Wonders & Worries knows what our children need, no matter what their personality is, and they give them the space to process it. ” – Kelly

Watch Weston talk about one activity that helps him “lift the burden off his shoulders.” He references learning this from Wonders & Worries’ child life staff Ali Houshmand: