Heart for a Heart

Hi my name is James. I am a husband and father of two crazy, wonderful and healthy kids. The last of which I realize I take for granted daily. I myself was born with a pneumothorax. A condition where your lung colapses as the result of a small hole in the lung or chest cavity. Yesterday I got the news that my sister gave birth to a stunning baby girl. Today however I learned that Lumen has been diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). The following is the message I recieved from my sister:

"Lumen was born on Thursday afternoon and we all thought she was doing well. She was eating, breathing, being a good baby.

But her blood sugars weren't being what they should be, especially after eating and after getting a glucose gel. Her temperature was also a little too low and we weren't sure why, so they brought her to the NICU for observation around 8 or 9 that evening. While there they noticed her blood oxygen saturation levels were low, so they took chest x-rays, which came back clear. They also noticed a heart murmur no one else had so far detected and ordered an EKG. The EKG came back irregular and they transported her to UC Davis children's hospital.

The cardiac specialists here have diagnosed her with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Her left ventricle in her heart is too small and will require surgery that they are performing on Tuesday. This surgery is one of three that she will require: one now, one at 3-5 months of age, and one at 2-3 years of age.

I wish I had better news. Odds are in her favor right now and it's a small miracle they detected this at Rideout because most often times babies go home with this kind of heart defect undetected and the worst happens. Things are going to be rough for the next coming weeks, certainly, maybe for the next few months. We will have to take things a day a time. I thank you all for your love, support, and prayers."

--End message--

This brings me to my request. I am uncertain what the expenses associated with the procedures Lumen will undergo will amount to, but I know they will create a major financial burden on my sister and her family. I am not quite sure how to go about asking, but my goal is to simply offset some of the costs for any medical expenses. No amount is too small. Thank you for taking a moment to read this and I do hope you consider donating.

Sincerely,

James Bradley