OUR STORY

BORN FROM ONE HEART STORY. BUILT FOR ALL OF OURS.

Dee Strong began with Dee, but it was never meant to be only about her.

Dee was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a complex congenital heart defect. At 20, her heart journey took an unexpected turn when she went into heart failure and suffered a massive stroke.

The stroke affected the right side of her body and changed so much in an instant. Dee had to relearn how to walk and began the long process of relearning how to communicate.

And through it all, she kept creating.

WHEN WORDS WERE HARD, ART WAS THERE.

Art became an important part of Dee’s recovery.

With her dominant hand affected by the stroke, she began creating with her non-dominant hand. Every line, color, and piece became more than art. It became another way to express herself, keep moving forward, and find pieces of herself in the middle of everything that had changed.

Today, Dee continues her recovery while awaiting a heart transplant.

Her strength, creativity, and story became the spark behind Dee Strong.

But Dee is only one story in a community filled with millions of them.

DEE STRONG IS FOR ALL OF US.

For the child growing up with CHD.

For the adult who has carried a heart scar for decades.

For the heart warrior facing another surgery.

For the person waiting for a transplant.

For the parents who learned an entirely new language the day their child was diagnosed.

For the siblings, partners, grandparents, friends, and families who walk beside them.

And for every person whose life has been changed by congenital heart disease.

You are part of this story too.

MORE THAN A DIAGNOSIS.

CHD can be part of who we are without being all that we are.

We are artists. Parents. Friends. Partners. Dreamers. Survivors. Families.

We laugh. We create. We struggle. We celebrate. We have scars and stories, good days and brutally hard ones.

Dee Strong exists to create art, apparel, and everyday reminders that reflect that whole experience.

Some pieces are bold. Some are hopeful. Some acknowledge the hard days. Others simply celebrate being here.

Because representation matters.

Because community matters.

And because sometimes seeing something that says exactly what you've felt can remind you that someone else gets it.

INSPIRED BY DEE. CREATED FOR THE CHD COMMUNITY.

Dee will always be the heart behind Dee Strong.

Her personal artwork has a special home here, and her journey will always be part of our story.

But the future of Dee Strong belongs to something bigger.

We want to build a place where CHD survivors and heart families can see themselves, share their stories, celebrate their strength, and know they aren't walking this road alone.

This is more than Dee's story now.

It's ours.

FOR HEARTS BUILT DIFFERENTLY. ❤️

Every Beat Is a Gift.