From His Depths, the Climb Back Begins
Colby Groom was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. You don't have to be a surgeon to understand from context that's not what you want. Indeed, it's not the way the aortic valve's three flaps are supposed to form.

He also had a heart murmur.

"Soon after Colby was born, we got the 3-letter word we call it: CHD," said Daryl, his dad, preferring he'd never heard its name.

CHD. Congenital heart defect.

Blood pressure medication didn't help. As Colby's heart issues worsened, his growth slowed, he was just … tired … and, by first grade, his health was beginning to fail.

It was time. Surgery.

You're Not Alone. You're Never Alone.
For his parents, the most important thing was getting Colby feeling better. Beyond taking care of his heart, that included making sure he wasn't feeling alone.

Granted, it's hard to make small talk about your heart troubles on the playground when you're in elementary school. It just doesn't work that way in fourth grade, even with friends who genuinely care but just don't get it in the same way.

And so, when his folks connected him with others in similar situations — when the door opened to a community he had no idea existed — there was no doubt Colby had found where he belonged. A boy of Australian parents, living in the United States, surrounded by people — and other kids — who did get it in every way.

The motivation was there.

To restore himself. To help them.

To regain his self-confidence through acts of selflessness.

A Barrel Full of Confidence
The Grooms are a wine family. Daryl was a renowned maker in his homeland — both at his own vineyard and with Penfolds — before coming Stateside.

Colby, and his three older sisters, grew up around grapes.

One day when he was in fifth grade, Colby came to his parents with a modest proposal.

"Mom and dad, we're a wine making family," Colby declared. He was staking his ground with intent to grow something on it. "Why aren't we making a wine that helps kids like me?'"

Good question. Daryl had one of his own for Colby: "Why do you want to do this so badly?"

"To help the next generation of kids," Colby said.

Good answer.

"So we set off to buy some grapes," Daryl said. "We were going to make two barrels of wine and raise $500."

And Colby? "He had the biggest smile on his face," Daryl said.

Thus was born Colby Red, "a flavorful California cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot and Petite Sirah."

Yes, yes, yes, yes and … yes.

"The rest is kind of history," Lisa said. "From wanting to raise $500 to make us all feel good to, at the moment, closing in on the $2 million mark is a pretty amazing achievement."

"There's still more to be done," Colby said. "I love to do what I can to fundraise for new research and technologies to make the next kid's life easier. If I can make it easier on one family to make it easier to understand what their kid is going through, it's all worth it."

Always another step. Colby, climbing. Colby Red, climbing. And thanks to both, kids just like Colby lifted up.

And Now, For His Next Act
At the height of COVID-19, Colby graduated in May 2020 from Loyola Marymount, a solid 7-hour drive from his home, with a degree in history and political science.

His next stop looks like law school but, like so much of his and every life, "It's a work in progress."

That's true of his mechanical valve, which will need to be replaced eventually. Just a side effect of living a long and healthy time after such a scary start.

While Daryl hates the name — remember, "the 3-letter word we call it: CHD" — the sun is shining on Colby, the cloud that hung over the start of his life now off in the distance. "The biggest prize," Daryl said, "is watching him growing into the incredible man he is today."

As Colby told his mum, "I'm actually OK that I was born with heart disease because otherwise, we wouldn't be on this journey. It's made me a better person."

So there you have it: Colby Groom, born with a congenital heart defect (sorry Daryl), lifting himself up, leaning on his family's resources and putting his talents to work to raise money to improve the lives of others, millions of times over.

That's it. That's exactly what makes Colby Groom tick.

What did you think we meant?