Ellington

Leah Helms left the soccer field after watching her oldest child's victory in a soccer tournament at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night. The next day she was in labor.

"Soccer's a very busy, big part of our lives. I had already imagined what it would be like carrying Pierce in my backpack up and down the soccer field," Helms says.

Pierce Allen Helms, or "Baby Pierce," was born Oct. 26, 2009, with a congenital heart defect that took his life just two and a half months later.

Baby Pierce never got to compete in soccer like his siblings, but this February, the Brandon Soccer League will host the Pierce Allen Helms Memorial Soccer Tournament.

Proceeds from the tournament go to Mississippi Mended Hearts, a nonprofit organization that provides education about heart health and support to people affected by heart diseases and defects. Mississippi Mended Hearts was with Leah every step of the way on her harrowing journey with Baby Pierce.

Helms hopes to give back to Mississippi Mended Hearts and to bring awareness to congenital heart defects, the number one birth defect, which occurs in one out of every 115 to 150 births. This number is startlingly high, especially when compared to other birth defects like Down syndrome, which occurs in one out of every 800 to 1,000 births.

The Pierce Allen Holmes Memorial Classic Saturday, Feb. 12 at Exchange Fields and Shiloh Park. Players' entry fee is $12, and all proceeds benefit Mississippi Mended Hearts. Go to http://brandon.cornerkicksystems.com or contact Jeff Prewitt at 601-500-0179 or [e-mail missing] for more information.

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