Baby Greyson's Open Heart Surgery Fund!
Donation protected
I am the Aunt of Tiffany Hirsch, my name is Sheila Crider. I am a Registered Nurse and I am well aware personally and professionally of the immediate need to help their family be able to survive mentally and financially through this fight for Greyson's life. My goal is to help them get a head start on the impending financial weight that this will bring on them. I know times are hard for everyone, but can you imagine adding this to the already stressful existence we all are feeling. Please pass this along to anyone that you feel would be willing to donate to help save Greyson's life. We do not want them to have to decide between procedures by what is covered or not by insurance, we want him to have the best care possible!! Bless all of you in advance..
Where will the money go???
1- medical bills and surgery (before insurance estimated in the millions), and will surely end up in the thousands after insurance estimated if things go well to be about $6 K.
2- housing needs for the duration of their stay at UVA. Since they closed the discount housing close to campus due to Covid19, their stay will be about 65 a night for about 6 weeks. That equals near $3900.
3- food, for the duration of their stay at UVA. Estimated at $600.
4- gas for the trips home and back by Matt as they live 1.5 hours away. Estimated at $300
Here is Matt and Tiffany and Greyson Hirsch’s story:
At their 20 week ultrasound they were told that Greyson had a rather large hole in his heart. After another specialist came in she proceeded to tell them that it’s very likely that he had Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and that they would need a fairly emergent fetal echocardiogram (ECHO) done to rule it out. The ECHO was preformed that next morning and they were given the news of his current heart conditions.
Here is a post off of Tiffany’s facebook page: ** Jan 24th 2020: My brain struggles to figure out the words to express the news that Matt and I found out at our appointment yesterday. Baby boy is growing and is safe and sound inside me, kicking and getting stronger everyday, but we heard things that parents never want to hear. Baby boy, whom we have named Greyson Thomas, has been diagnosed with heart defects. We had a fetal ECHO done this morning, at this current time it is 100% known that he has a large ventricular septal defect *VSD (a hole in the wall of his heart between his left and right ventricle), currently they believe that this will not correct itself as he grows. Two other defects are a double outlet right ventricle DORV (his aorta connects to the right ventricle instead of the left, and the pulmonary artery is connected correctly to the right ventricle), transposed greater arteries TGA (the two main arteries leaving the heart are reversed). These last two defects are not 100% known at this time as Greyson was very stubborn and they want to make sure they have the best pictures for the best diagnoses. At this time Greyson will have to have surgery after he is born. We will have another fetal ECHO in six weeks and will update everyone as we find information out and try to come to terms with all of this. Prayers would be greatly appreciated at this time.**
They have been followed up numerous times since then, including getting a second diagnosis at 25 weeks at UVA- the number one pediatric cardiology and heart surgery hospital in Virginia.
Here is Tiffany's post on that day: ** Today was very eventful and full of information. Yesterday we decided on a whim to call UVA to schedule a second opinion for Greyson’s heart. To my surprise within two hours not only did I have a callback, I spoke directly with a cardiologist who instead of referring to Greyson as “your baby” talked about him by name. Within that time frame, we had an ECHO scheduled... for today! At 25 weeks we were able to get much better pictures of Greyson’s heart and the diagnoses were confirmed. Greyson definitely has TGA, DORV, and a large subpulmonary VSD. Today’s visit gave us the information we have been looking and waiting for. We not only met one, but FIVE, pediatric cardiologists, and we’re able to sit down with two of them. At this current time we will be having visits at VCU but Greyson’s care will be at UVA. The current plan is to be induced, deliver at UVA, the day Greyson is born he will have a heart cath done (to keep the foramen ovale open) as well as starting a medication to keep the ductus arteriosus open (both of these are supposed to close upon birth). The team estimates between 7-10 days after Greyson is born he will have his (first and fingers crossed, ONLY) open heart surgery. We are thankful for all of the resources, love, thoughts, and prayers we have and continue to receive on this road.**
As Tiffany is not considered high risk, Greyson is, and the appointments and medical bills are slowly piling up. Having a baby with a congenital heart defect requires a team of cardiologists, high risk maternal obstetricians, and neonatologists just to name a few. The doctors estimate that Greyson will be in the hospital anywhere between 4-6 weeks after birth. The first week will be spent in the NICU with no overnight guests, and after his open heart surgery, will be moved to the PICU for the remainder of his stay.
At the most recent appointment, Tiffany and Matt received more difficult news- due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, the housing that Matt and Tiffany had planned on securing has had to stop admissions and at this time staying in a hotel is the only way they can stay close to their son.
Matt and Tiffany also have animals at home that they will need someone to help care for and Matt will have to drive back and forth twice a week for work. The cost of gas alone will be heavy during this time. If anyone close to them will willing to offer assistance please contact Tiffany and Matt asap to ease their mind.
Another future appointment is scheduled six weeks out, at 36 weeks, and at that time an induction date will be scheduled. It is expected to be in the ballpark of June 1, 2020. The open heart surgery will be an Arterial Switch. They will have to stop his heart, put him on bypass, while switching his greater arteries, vessels, and closing his hole. He will be put on a ventilator and will have numerous medications running along with numerous wires. During this time while all hooked up the doctors say that Matt and Tiffany will not be able to hold him, and Tiffany will not be able to bottle or breast feed- he will have a tube running down his nose into his stomach to get his feedings.
Please put yourself in their shoes… one income after Greyson is born… mortgage… bills… medical bills coming in weekly… all while dealing with life and death and trying to do what is best for their son and their family...
Thank you for your support for this lovely young family, it means the world to the entire family...
Tiffany and Matt are trying also to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Defects and so having a some facts might help ...
* 1:100 babies are born with a heart defect in the United States. About 25% of babies with a CHD have a critical CHD. Infants with critical CHDs generally need surgery or other invasive procedures within their first year of life. (Source CDC)
* Congenital heart defects are approximately 60 times more prevalent than childhood cancer.
* The cost for inpatient surgery to repair congenital heart defects exceeds $1.9 billion a year. (source: CDC)
* 1:3,413 babies are born with TGA in the United States every year (Source: CDC)
* 1:10,000 babies are born with DORV
Where will the money go???
1- medical bills and surgery (before insurance estimated in the millions), and will surely end up in the thousands after insurance estimated if things go well to be about $6 K.
2- housing needs for the duration of their stay at UVA. Since they closed the discount housing close to campus due to Covid19, their stay will be about 65 a night for about 6 weeks. That equals near $3900.
3- food, for the duration of their stay at UVA. Estimated at $600.
4- gas for the trips home and back by Matt as they live 1.5 hours away. Estimated at $300
Here is Matt and Tiffany and Greyson Hirsch’s story:
At their 20 week ultrasound they were told that Greyson had a rather large hole in his heart. After another specialist came in she proceeded to tell them that it’s very likely that he had Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and that they would need a fairly emergent fetal echocardiogram (ECHO) done to rule it out. The ECHO was preformed that next morning and they were given the news of his current heart conditions.
Here is a post off of Tiffany’s facebook page: ** Jan 24th 2020: My brain struggles to figure out the words to express the news that Matt and I found out at our appointment yesterday. Baby boy is growing and is safe and sound inside me, kicking and getting stronger everyday, but we heard things that parents never want to hear. Baby boy, whom we have named Greyson Thomas, has been diagnosed with heart defects. We had a fetal ECHO done this morning, at this current time it is 100% known that he has a large ventricular septal defect *VSD (a hole in the wall of his heart between his left and right ventricle), currently they believe that this will not correct itself as he grows. Two other defects are a double outlet right ventricle DORV (his aorta connects to the right ventricle instead of the left, and the pulmonary artery is connected correctly to the right ventricle), transposed greater arteries TGA (the two main arteries leaving the heart are reversed). These last two defects are not 100% known at this time as Greyson was very stubborn and they want to make sure they have the best pictures for the best diagnoses. At this time Greyson will have to have surgery after he is born. We will have another fetal ECHO in six weeks and will update everyone as we find information out and try to come to terms with all of this. Prayers would be greatly appreciated at this time.**
They have been followed up numerous times since then, including getting a second diagnosis at 25 weeks at UVA- the number one pediatric cardiology and heart surgery hospital in Virginia.
Here is Tiffany's post on that day: ** Today was very eventful and full of information. Yesterday we decided on a whim to call UVA to schedule a second opinion for Greyson’s heart. To my surprise within two hours not only did I have a callback, I spoke directly with a cardiologist who instead of referring to Greyson as “your baby” talked about him by name. Within that time frame, we had an ECHO scheduled... for today! At 25 weeks we were able to get much better pictures of Greyson’s heart and the diagnoses were confirmed. Greyson definitely has TGA, DORV, and a large subpulmonary VSD. Today’s visit gave us the information we have been looking and waiting for. We not only met one, but FIVE, pediatric cardiologists, and we’re able to sit down with two of them. At this current time we will be having visits at VCU but Greyson’s care will be at UVA. The current plan is to be induced, deliver at UVA, the day Greyson is born he will have a heart cath done (to keep the foramen ovale open) as well as starting a medication to keep the ductus arteriosus open (both of these are supposed to close upon birth). The team estimates between 7-10 days after Greyson is born he will have his (first and fingers crossed, ONLY) open heart surgery. We are thankful for all of the resources, love, thoughts, and prayers we have and continue to receive on this road.**
As Tiffany is not considered high risk, Greyson is, and the appointments and medical bills are slowly piling up. Having a baby with a congenital heart defect requires a team of cardiologists, high risk maternal obstetricians, and neonatologists just to name a few. The doctors estimate that Greyson will be in the hospital anywhere between 4-6 weeks after birth. The first week will be spent in the NICU with no overnight guests, and after his open heart surgery, will be moved to the PICU for the remainder of his stay.
At the most recent appointment, Tiffany and Matt received more difficult news- due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, the housing that Matt and Tiffany had planned on securing has had to stop admissions and at this time staying in a hotel is the only way they can stay close to their son.
Matt and Tiffany also have animals at home that they will need someone to help care for and Matt will have to drive back and forth twice a week for work. The cost of gas alone will be heavy during this time. If anyone close to them will willing to offer assistance please contact Tiffany and Matt asap to ease their mind.
Another future appointment is scheduled six weeks out, at 36 weeks, and at that time an induction date will be scheduled. It is expected to be in the ballpark of June 1, 2020. The open heart surgery will be an Arterial Switch. They will have to stop his heart, put him on bypass, while switching his greater arteries, vessels, and closing his hole. He will be put on a ventilator and will have numerous medications running along with numerous wires. During this time while all hooked up the doctors say that Matt and Tiffany will not be able to hold him, and Tiffany will not be able to bottle or breast feed- he will have a tube running down his nose into his stomach to get his feedings.
Please put yourself in their shoes… one income after Greyson is born… mortgage… bills… medical bills coming in weekly… all while dealing with life and death and trying to do what is best for their son and their family...
Thank you for your support for this lovely young family, it means the world to the entire family...
Tiffany and Matt are trying also to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Defects and so having a some facts might help ...
* 1:100 babies are born with a heart defect in the United States. About 25% of babies with a CHD have a critical CHD. Infants with critical CHDs generally need surgery or other invasive procedures within their first year of life. (Source CDC)
* Congenital heart defects are approximately 60 times more prevalent than childhood cancer.
* The cost for inpatient surgery to repair congenital heart defects exceeds $1.9 billion a year. (source: CDC)
* 1:3,413 babies are born with TGA in the United States every year (Source: CDC)
* 1:10,000 babies are born with DORV
Organizer and beneficiary
Sheila Crider
Organizer
Southport, NC
Tiffany Hirsch
Beneficiary
