Here's what Mallory's mom wanted to share about her:

 

"Mallory has proven time after time how strong she is and that God created her for a purpose!  At birth she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, coarctation of the aorta, and an unbalanced A/V canal defect. Her aorta was repaired surgically at 7 days old, and she went home needing a feeding tube. At 6 months she was ready for open heart surgery to repair her A/V canal defect. We were warned how complex the procedure was - there was a possibility only a partial repair could be performed (which would’ve shortened her overall life span) and also a chance she wouldn't make it through the surgery. But the surgeon was able to do a full repair! There were complications recovering.  She spent 3 and a half months in the PICU and we were again told she may not pull through. She ended up needing another surgery for a pacemaker. She was doing well until the age of 3 when she developed a severe respiratory infection that required ECMO. We were told recovery was 50/50. God was with her and my family through all of these trials and I felt in my heart that she would be okay.  Mallory is 8 years old now & when I asked her how I should describe her she said, “I’m a giddy-head child who loves being silly!” She is a great reader and loves books, playing with her dolls, riding horses and making others laugh, which she does quite often. Mallory’s Down Syndrome diagnosis means that some things may take a little longer than average for her to learn, or that she learns better taught in a different way. It means she has low muscle tone (walked later than most, her legs may tire easier, and she has to work at strengthening her fingers for fine motor activities like writing). But Mallory has taught me that none of that matters-she is perfect exactly how God created her and she will continue to blossom in every thing she does in her own time!"