Help for Rajay's Heart

Rajay is my 14 year old nephew whom my husband Cyril King Sr.,and I just recently adopted as our son.
Rajay is a charming young 7th grader with a big smile who likes to talk and meet new people.  He also loves to eat, play video games and listen to music.  To meet Rajay today you would not know the heartaches, losses and serious health issues he had to face in the past and even to this present day.

Rajay is in need of a heart.  He was born in St Anns Jamaica West Indies with a congenital heart disease. He was also born with his heart on the opposite side.

At 11 months old "Doctors Without Borders" volunteered their services and had Rajay transported to North Shore Hospital in Long New York where they performed major surgery with transposition of his great vessel.  Six week later he was sent back to a hospital in Jamaica until he was 1 and 1/2 years old.

Rajay's mother made the decision that she would no longer care for him, therefore leaving him in the hospital.  Rajay went to live with his dad Michael Linton and his paternal grandparents Alphanso and Roslyn Linton.  They lived in a very rural area of Jamaica.  It was very difficult at times to travel back and forth to Kingston where he received his medical care.  Rajay missed many of his follow up appointments because of the long distance and financial difficulties his dad faced.

On December 21, 2008 when he was 8 years old, Rajay suffered a lost when his grandfather became ill and passed away.  He missed his grandfather.  He was the one who would meet him every evening as he walked home from school.  It was difficult for Rajay to walk the 3 miles from school because of his heart, but his granddad would walk and meet him so that they could come home together.

On September 17, 2011 there was another tragic loss not only for Rajay but for the family as well.  My brother, Rajay's dad, while working as a security guard, was murdered on his job.  This was very devastating for Rajay and my mom, losing two of the most important men in his life.  Rajay was so devastated by his father's death that he was not able to attend the funeral.

Rajay suffered yet another loss.  July 10, 2012, nine months after his dad was murdered, Rajay loss his grandmother.  One morning he went to wake his grandmother to make him breakfast, but she was not waking up.  Rajay called the neighbors who came and found that his grandmother had died.  Rajay lost all the family that he lived with when he was only 11 years old.  I too was so devastated for losing my dad, then brother and my mother.  I could not imagine what this poor child must have been going through after losing everyone that was so near and dear to him.

I stepped in as a biological Aunt and stayed with him in Jamaica for 2 months preparing to become his legal guardian and now his adopted mother here in America.

Rajay has had a lot of anguish in his very short life and now he needs a heart transplant.  Rajay is now on the transplant list at the New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children Hospital.  When a heart becomes available, Rajay will be admitted to the hospital between 4-6 weeks.  When he is released from the hospital, he will need to stay at home for 3-4 months.  This will be a difficult time financially for our family.

We are asking for your help through donations as the family will be traveling back and forth between New York and Connecticut where he will be receiving his care.

Rajay Linton has had a very difficult life and has been through many tribulations in his young life, but he never complains.  He has the biggest, broadest smile on his face.

Rajay needs your help.  Please donate to a good cause so he can have a good and productive life.

We need $10,000 - $12-000 to help with out of pocket cost and the many bills that will incur during his recovery time.

Thank you for your donations and support.  It will be greatly appreciated.


Blossom Linton & Cyril King Sr