The Aucoin Family

The Henry Aucoin Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in order to help families coming to New Orleans with children requiring heart surgeries, procedures, medication, equipment and transplants, as well as to give back to the community through special projects & events.  We seek to improve the experience and quality of life for pediatric heart patients and their families. 

The Henry Aucoin Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Henry Aucoin Foundation is incorporated in the State of Louisiana and is tax-exempt from the IRS.  Our tax I.D. number is 46-2128572. Donations may be tax deductible. Please check with your tax adviser.

Because we have been there.

Through our own personal experience with our son Henry, we met many people who made us feel extremely grateful for our support from family and friends.  We also realized how lucky we had been to not suffer from any extensive financial burden as a result of Henry's lifesaving heart surgeries and procedures.  We realize that every family is unique and ours has been incredibly fortunate.  When Henry was discharged from Children's Hospital of New Orleans, we made a commitment to give back to the community and to families with pediatric heart patients like ours.  At just 11 weeks of age and a mere 7 pounds, Henry had already taught us so much.

 When Susan Aucoin was 29 weeks pregnant she was told that she had twin to twin transfusion syndrome, a rare disease of the placenta that only affects identical twin pregnancies.  Her OB then sent her to a specialist who discovered a congenital defect in one of the twins;  that babywould have to have open heart surgery soon after birth.

That day she left her OB's office with her husband Dwayne, totally distraught.  When they got into the car Susan called a close friend who is a pediatric specialist  and asked her "What is transposition of the great vessels?"  Her response was "Oh God, not one of the twins?"  Susan immediately felt numb and nauseated.  

Susan and Dwayne were advised to interview pediatric CT surgeons at the local hospitals and decide where they would want the baby to have surgery.  Interview them?  They didn't even know what to ask them.  But Susan's friend and her OB guided them and they pulled themselves together.  They interviewed doctors and surgeons at three different local hospitals, and made lists of pros and cons.  Then they made a decision and went with it.  Was it the right decision?  Susan asks herself that question to this very day.  But then she reminds herself that Henry is still here so it was indeed the right decision.

On April 27, 2009 Henry and Benjamin were born.  Henry came out first and was quickly taken to the NICU.  Neither Dwayne nor Susan were able to hold Henry.  Or touch him.  They were just able to look at him and rub his fingers.  Later that day he was transported to the NICU at Children's Hospital New Orleans.

Henry's surgery was scheduled and rescheduled, due to issues with his health, for days.  His first open heart surgery took place on May 15.  Susan & Dwayne were terrified as Henry was whisked away to surgery.  Doctors had prepared them for the worst.  They told them  to pray for a miracle.  They said that IF Henry survived the surgery itself that they expected Henry to come out of his surgery on a machine that would breathe for him and a machine that would circulate and oxygenate his blood for him (most commonly called ECMO).

Complicating matters, Henry was the smallest baby that his surgeons had ever done this particular surgery on.  He only weighed a mere 4 1/2 pounds and his heart about the size of a quarter.  Some 13 hours later, despite his size and the grim warnings, Henry's surgery was successful.  Henry came out on oxygen but never did require ECMO.  No one could explain it.  I am not sure they could understand how or why Henry did so much better than expected.  But Susan smiled to herself and thanked Henry's angels above.  

Susan distinctly remembers the first few days being home after the twins were born.  There were gifts and things stacked in Henry's crib.  People would offer to wash them and put them away but Susan always refused.  Dwayne finally asked her why and she said she was not ready yet.  She wanted all of it to be easily removed if something terrible should happen to Henry.  That same night Susan had a dream.  She was coffin shopping at a funeral home with her husband's deceased father and her husband's deceased grandfather.  (She realizes this sounds strange)  The three of them were looking around and Susan stopped at an infant coffin covered in cob webs.  Susan looked at her father in law and he shook his head then told her "Don't worry.  You won't be needing that."  And then he smiled at her.  She woke up the next morning with a great sense of peace and knew everything would be fine for Henry.  She went into the nursery to check on Benjamin and saw Henry's crib full of everything.  She took it all out, washed it and put it away.  From that dream on, she knew everything would work out and it most absolutely did.  Henry's angels above took the very best care of him and gave him the strength he needed to pull through.

​After two months, on June 28, Susan and Dwayne were finally able to hold Henry for the first time.  Soon after that Henry was able to meet his big sister Emily.  As a parent, this was an incredible moment.  Emily was just 2 1/2 and had a difficult time understanding why only one of her brothers could come home when they were born and why one of them had to stay.

​On July 12, Henry was finally released from the CICU and he was re-united with his twin brother Benjamin after 77 days apart.  Then on July 13, Henry was finally able to go home.  It was a long and rocky road but Henry did much better than anyone had anticipated.  Henry was discharged on minimal medication and soon thereafter taken off of all medication.

The Beginning of Henry Aucoin Foundation

Just before Henry was discharged from the hospital in July 2009, a childhood friend of Susan's asked she and Dwayne to participate in the New Orleans Heart Walk in honor of Henry to help raise awareness to pediatric heart patients.  Soon thereafter they created Team Henry.  Team Henry has participated in the New Orleans Heart Walk benefiting the American Heart Association every November. 

But Susan still wanted to do more.  Since Henry was first in the hospital Susan wanted to do something to help other pediatric heart patients and their families traveling to New Orleans for treatment.  Over dinner one night with another childhood friend Susan decided she was going to do something.  She went home to tell Dwayne and he thought she had lost her mind.  He was hesitant not of the project itself, but of the time and monetary requirements to begin a foundation.  At the time, Susan owned a monogram business with a close friend called Thread of Louisiana.  She was also working part-time for her children's pediatricians at Collins Pediatrics.  Not to mention her largest, most important (and unpaid) job of wife and mom to three children.  But Dwayne went along with it.  He knew Susan had determination.

So in February 2013, the Henry Aucoin Foundation was established, in honor of their son, Henry.  The goal has been to raise money for the heart community and to distribute grant money throughout the year to pediatric heart patients traveling to New Orleans for treatment.  The grants are to help those that are placed under a financial burden due to surgery, procedures, medications, equipment, travel expenses, etc.  

In early 2020, they donated the new CICU waiting room at Children's Hospital New Orleans in honor Henry and all those that have supposed HAF from its inception.  

They also have dreams for other special projects in the community such as a transportation van for patients and Henry's House to help house patients and their families so they do not need to live in hotel rooms for weeks and months.

So many infants and children need help just as Henry did.  Susan believes Henry was sent here to give her and Dwayne a reason and a purpose to do great things for others.  Henry has given them the will, determination and desire to help others like him and their families.

Henry has taught Susan & Dwayne so very much in his short life.  Henry is a constant reminder to be grateful for what they have.  They feel so lucky that they are able to know what it means to just have all three kids home with them -- screaming, fighting, playing, all of it -- but they have all 3 with them.  Because their lives would be so very different had Henry not made it through.  Henry turned 15 in April 2024.  He is a daily reminder that miracles do exit.