Ten-year-old Ella Grae Bullard is becoming fluent in Spanish, has an above-average reading level and enjoys acting in plays at Thalian Hall. While talking to the energetic fifth grader, one would never suspect she has undergone three open heart surgeries.
Diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome 12 hours after her birth, Ella Grae has made several trips to New Hanover Regional Medical Center for congestive heart failure since undergoing a series of surgeries.
“She eventually will need a heart transplant,” said Ella Grae’s father, Rodney Bullard, a pediatric nurse. “She doesn’t have the left side of her heart. The right side is doing three or four times the work it’s designed to do.”
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Ella Grae, her parents and a group of more than 30 of their friends joined 2,000 other walkers in a 5K (3.1-mile) walk — the Cape Fear Heart Walk, organized by the American Heart Association.
The heart walk is a yearly event that serves not only as the primary fundraiser for the Cape Fear Heart Association, but also helps bring attention to heart disease, the No. 1 killer of American men and women.
“People don’t talk about it like they should. People take better care of their cars than themselves,” said Ashley Miller, Cape Fear Heart Association Director. She noted heart disease often gets overlooked because people can appear to recover quickly.
“They don’t see the struggle like they do with cancer and other diseases,” Miller said.
Ella Grae’s family has seen the struggle, over and over. She had her first surgery when she was 3 days old, her second surgery when she was 3 and one-half months old and her third surgery when she was 3 years old. After the third surgery in Atlanta, Ella Grae endured an eight-month recovery period.
Ella Grae’s heart condition has not stopped her from excelling. She was placed in a course for academically gifted students at Forest Hills Global Elementary School for her high reading level, and she is becoming fluent in Spanish in the school’s dual immersion program.
“One time, when we were at an international festival, she found some Colombian people and started speaking Spanish with them. They thought she was a native speaker and they tried to speak Spanish with me, and I told them, ‘No, she’s the only one who speaks Spanish,’” Rodney Bullard said.
Ella Grae’s mother, Laura Bullard, said her daughter’s challenges are mainly physical.
“It’s a challenge for her to eat enough. She’s 3 foot 11 inches and 49 pounds. The doctor said for her to get as many healthy fats as possible,” Laura Bullard said.
Ella Grae takes the stage during children’s performances with the Thalian Association Children’s Theater. One of her favorite roles was playing Woodstock, the small yellow bird, in a production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
Ella Grae’s theatrical performances have inspired her to want to become a singer or an actress one day. One of her favorite musicals is “Wicked” because of the humorous scenes.
“Without a little humor, what’s the point?” she said.
While Ella Grae aspires to have a career in performing arts, her parents’ goal is to raise funds for the American Heart Association, which conducts research to benefit people with a variety of heart conditions. Last year, the Cape Fear Heart walk raised $160,000. This year, event organizers hope to raise more than $190,000.
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