About Me

I am Kelli Argento, a former elementary teacher and author of Wayne the Warrior. I am mom to an amazing heart warrior boy. This book is inspired by my son and his life with a congenital heart defect. This book was written with the hope that it would help children overcome their fears in a colorful and happy way. As we spent many nights in the hospital, I noticed there was something missing when searching for children's stories about hospital stays. My goal is to provide a resource that can be inspiring, comforting and fun! This story is for any child dealing with hospital stays.

After having our son in 2018, we were rushed from hospital to hospital to find out that he had a congenital heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. In short he would need three open heart surgeries before he was 5. The first happened when he was just 1 week old, the second at almost 4 months old and the third at almost 4 years old. We have spent a total of almost 100 days in the hospital, not including stays for other procedures or illnesses. He is now a thriving toddler, with endless energy and the desire to explore.

To learn more about CHDs, visit www.childrensheartfoundation.org/

We have built amazing relationships with surgeons, doctors, nurses, therapists, caregivers, and families. The goal remains to support children and their village during the most uncertain and frightening times. We have learned a lot and only wish to share our knowledge. We continue to be on the receiving end of so much care and guidance and we hope to be the support now for others as well.