He might only have half a heart, but 12-month-old Colton Forbes gave it all as he dashed through the finish line to a first-place win in this year’s Diaper Dash at the Great Geauga County Fair.
He might only have half a heart, but 12-month-old Colton Forbes gave it all as he dashed through the finish line to a first-place win in this year’s Diaper Dash at the Great Geauga County Fair.
“We thought for sure he would get scared and cry, but he locked eyes with his sister, Gracelynn and I, and smiled and he crawled to us,” said Colton’s mom, Kacie Forbes, of Thompson Township. “Not bad for a child with half a heart, physical therapy most of his life and with only 80-percent oxygen running through his body.”
The 10thannual Diaper Dash brought cheering onlookers and families inside the Junior Fair Building Sept. 1 to watch the youngest of competitors compete in one of the weekend’s most fun and unique events.
Each age group winner won a special onesie marking the event and trophy.
All participants received gift bags.
Junior fair coordinator Jan Jackam has been running the event for five years.
Parents entered their crawling children in the race from one end of the carpet to the other, with one person at the start, the other at the finish line.“Everyone loves to watch babies do unexpected things and that happens all the time,” Jackam said. “They are so cute and so unpredictable.”
The babies then crawl from one to the other.
The races lasted at least five minutes or often less depending on the babies’ crawling speed and attention span.
“Of course, there is a crowd of friends, grandparents and onlookers there and they do a wonderful job of distracting the crawlers,” Jackam said. “It makes for a very interesting and unpredictable race.”
Moms waved their arms and called out their children’s names as onlookers cheered from the sidelines.
Some decided going back to their dads was better than crawling to their moms.
While other small competitors abruptly stopped on the carpet midway.
“Although our girls didn’t win their race, it was great being a part of this event at the Fair,” said Dave Peterson, whose twin girls participated with a large group of supporters on hand. “These little events are what make the fair great.”
Colton was already a winner in the eyes of his family for just being able to compete.
He was born with three congenital heart defects and spent the first seven weeks of his life at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
“Shaun (Colton’s father) and I both never left his side,” Kacie said. “He had his first surgery at 3 days old, which put bands on his pulmonary arteries so not so much blood was being pumped to his lungs and this also helped his heart function better.”
His next surgery was at 1 month old.
“Colton actually attended his first Great Geauga County Fair at 7 weeks old, and had just gotten out of the hospital in time for his oldest sister to show her rooster in the fair,” Kacie said.
Colton then had his next open heart surgery at 7 months old.
This surgery connected the artery that brings blood from his top half of his body straight to his lungs and bypasses his heart.
“He also did pretty well with this surgery and was home in nine days,” Kacie said.
Colton will have to have one more planned surgery between 2 to 4 years old connecting the artery that brings blood from the lower half of his body straight to his lungs, also bypassing his heart.
“These surgeries are not a cure, but just a way to prolong his life,” Kacie said. “A transplant may be in the future for him, but we pray he can live with his heart and have a long, fulfilling life. We are so blessed and thankful with how well Colton has done with these surgeries. We pray every day that medical advances will someday come up with something that will fix his heart for good.”
Kacie said Colton’s older siblings absolutely adore their youngest brother and dote on him all day long.
“They all have been through so much this past year and have taken it all in stride,” Kacie said. “There have been tears and there has been worry and fear, but we have learned to take life one day at a time and try not to think too far in the future. God has really brought our family through some of the hardest days of our life.”
The family wants to raise awareness for congenital heart disease, which affects 1 in every 100 babies born.
“Colton may look fine on the outside, but people don’t realize how sick his little heart really is,” Kacie said. “We are so proud of him. His brother, Hayden, said his throat hurt from cheering for Colton so loud.”
