Baby Lommel’s Heart

*Updated Goal as Maddy and Adam are at a standstill with their insurance in regards to covering the procedure. $40,000 is a more accurate goal to help cover their out of pocket needs. Hoping to hear more from insurance so they can move along to the surgery that could save their baby's life*

This fundraiser is for Maddy, Adam and their baby Boy due Oct 2023

Below is Maddys update in regards to their sweet baby. Unfortunately they were burdened with some life altering news in regards to their baby boys health and it is time sensitive. I would love to be able to help them financially with travel expenses along with medical costs, missed wages, and any other financial relief if could provide their family as no one knows what the next few days weeks and months or longer could have in store for them. Please help to give them the best opportunity to have one less thing to worry about and focus on their fight for their sons life.

Maddy was able to post in regards to their life altering news below:

"As some of you may already know, Adam and I are expecting a little boy October 2023. Things had been going seemingly normal the first 20 week, other than some extreme morning sickness. I’m not sure why they call it “morning sickness” because I’ve literally been sick just about all day, everyday.

May 30th: 20 weeks, 2 days. We went in for our anatomy scan. Boy looks good, however they noticed a weird spot on his heart. They weren’t sure what it was and the doctor was positive it was just a fluke deal as he wouldn’t sit still enough to get any good photos. To be extra safe after the Anatomy Scan, we checked in at the Heart Clinic for a Fetal Echo. This echo was previously ordered due to my heart conditions, neither of which are hereditary. Once the Echo was complete, we met with Doctor Chip Martin, one of, if NOT the best, Pediatric Cardiologist available to us. He expressed some concern over two valves that appeared to be a little leaky and a spot in the aorta that looked slightly narrow. There was nothing we could do for it at the time, he told us several times he was baffled as there was nothing that pointed to what could be causing this. He just told us to come back in four weeks. We left without many answers and a lot of worry.

Fast forward four weeks: 24 weeks, 3 days. Second fetal echo under the direction of Doctor Nick Zaban, another incredible pediatric cardiologist. Results this time were not just concerning but extremely alarming. The aorta itself is still narrow in one spot which requires surgery to repairs.. But the aortic valve is hardening, which basically means it’s dying, in a sense. So the left ventricle has very little to no function. None of this showed on the last Echo so it developed in the last four weeks. Which is extreme. If we don’t do anything right now, he will have to have a set of three surgeries before six months and an additional one before 2 years. At least four total in the first six months to fix the narrow aorta and the valve issue. They could take the pulmonary valve and move it over to where the dead aortic valve is but then he would have no function in the left side of his heart. He can live like that but would be very limited. And not a for sure success rate. There is one hospital in the country that “fixes” these issues in utero.. so we have been referred to them. They would place a balloon in his heart to hold the valve open until he is born. Then when he’s born, he would need one surgery to fix the valve and to fix the aorta, it would only be one operation but it would save the left side of his heart and he would most likely live a normal life. So we have several appointments this week in the cities with Children’s Minneapolis and the U of M and are working with the cardio team at the Boston Children’s Hospital. Boston can still reject the case if they don’t see it as a good fit but it sounds like our best bet per the U of M and Minneapolis Children’s is going out there to try. Otherwise termination is basically the best option. The very last thing we wanted to or expected to hear. We can go full term but there isn’t much they can do for us here so it would basically be comfort care. The only issue is they have to do all this in Boston before 26 weeks, that only gives us 10 days. So it’s going to be a quick decision as soon as we hear from Boston Children’s. We could be on a plane as soon as Monday. Essentially we have nothing to lose by trying the balloon procedure in Boston per all three of the cardiologist we have talked with, at this point but nothing will be decided until Friday.

To say this has been an emotional rollercoaster would be putting it lightly, but I don’t think we have the right words as to how we are feeling right now. We are super thankful for our friends and family, we truly have some of the best people supporting us."

Thank you for taking the time to share the love and prayers for Maddy, Adam and baby Boy.