Thank you for coming to Blade's GoFundMe page. I was very hesitant to ask for help, but in some situations,  we have to humble ourselves and ask friends and loved ones for a little. As most of you know, Blade will be having an operation on August 20th.  He has a congential (was born with) heart defect his entire life. It is called a Bicuspid Aortic Valve with Aortic Stenosis. Basically, a normal aortic valve has 3 leaflets that open and close to let the blood flow freely through the aorta. In Blades valve, two of his leaflets are fused together, creating only a small opening for the blood to travel through.  His actual aorta is also extremely narrow, making the problem worse. What this does is makes the pressure in his heart tremendous, and causes the heart to overwork, which has caused it to enlarge and the heart walls to thicken.  It's kind of like putting you finger over the end of a water hose, causing the water to shoot out with a lot of pressure. He takes heart medication twice a day, everyday, to keep his heart rate low. He has never been able to participate in competitive or contact sports, other than baseball (because it doesnt require alot of running and isn't very contact). He is looking forward to having the procedure so that he can feel like a "normal" kid and participate in life! For him, having a disability that is virtually invisible to the world has been hard because kids don't understand why he can't do this or that.
The procedure that he will be undergoing is called a Ross procedure. What will happen is this: They will completely remove and dispose of the faulty aortic valve, take out the pulmonary valve and put it in the place of the aortic valve. He will then receive a donor valve for the pulmonary valve. The procedure will enable his valves and heart to work correctly, minimizing or eliminating the immense pressure in the heart, and he will not need blood thinners or medication to reduce his heart rate. 
We are on the list for the Ronald McDonald house, which will cost $25 a day vs. $150 a day for a hotel for the first week we are there (we will be leaving on Aug 13 for pre op appts) but there is no guarantee that they can help us with lodging, as there are a lot of other families in need as well.  After his procedure, obviously, we will be staying at the hospital. We will have  a lot of expenses as far as transportation, lodging, food, dr. appointments and co-pays. Thank you for your love, support and generosity, and please, please continue to pray for my sweet boy! God will take care of him, and I believe Jesus will be in that operating room with him every step of the way. Thank you again, and we love you all very much!!!