Corbin Fisher Heart Transplant

Meet Corbin.
        He’s a very special five-year-old who is my hero. And he also happens to be my nephew. Corbin is my hero because he’s a fighter. He has been fighting to survive since the day he was born. And he still has a huge battle to overcome, but with the love and support of family, friends, strangers, and medical staffs, he is going to get through this. He lives each day fighting with everything he has, waiting to receive a heart transplant at Seattle Children's Hospital.
        For Corbin, the hospital is his norm. He has spent more than half of his young life there. He has bravely undergone three open heart surgeries and has had tubes put in his chest multiple times. No child should have to go through what Corbin deals with every day. 
        Corbin was born with a single ventricle heart defect, a congenital heart condition. What does this mean? The heart has four chambers. The upper chambers, called atria, receive blood flowing into the heart. The lower chambers, called ventricles, pump blood out of the heart. Corbin only has one ventricle. Because of this defect, Corbin’s single ventricle isn't large enough or strong enough to pump his heart effectively. With surgery options exhausted, Corbin has to receive a new heart. It’s a matter of life or death.
        This year alone, he has spent nine months in the hospital, and he isn't getting out until he receives his new heart. Corbin has been under anesthesia over 30 times. And even when he receives his new heart, there’s no guarantee it will work. Corbin focuses right now on fighting daily to stay healthy because of his failing heart. A failing heart puts other organs in jeopardy of failing, too. It’s a daily battle for him and his nurses, doctors, and family. But together, we can all help Corbin overcome this and lead the long, happy, and healthy life he deserves.

Living Life to His Fullest
        Even though Corbin is confined to the hospital, some days you’d never know it because of his joyous spirit and carefree attitude. He enjoys riding the elevator down to the coffee shop, zooming over to the gift shop on his scooter, or building crafts in the playroom. Corbin has an entrepreneurial spirit, too, which comes as no surprise to those of us who know him. He enjoys setting up lemonade stands outside his hospital door and also sells stickers to family, friends, staff, and visitors at the hospital. Everyone loves seeing Corbin’s smiling face. Corbin has also started attending school at Seattle Children’s Hospital, which has given him another outlet to provide motivation and a sense of normalcy in his anything-but-normal life. One of his favorite things to do is to proudly show off the entrance to his classroom to anyone who will listen.
        Corbin inspires all of us with his unwavering resiliency and unconditional love. We all leave a little better after spending time with Corbin. And he has learned a lifetime of lessons in his five years with us. They are lessons no five-year-old should have to learn, but he faces them with an unbreakable spirit and positivity that he shares with us all. 

The Costs
        As you can imagine, the emotional, physical, and monetary costs as a result of Corbin’s condition are overwhelming. Corbin and his whole family, especially his parents, have a heavy burden to bear right now. His parents, as well as his extended family, have missed many days of work to stay at the hospital with him for a night or for several weeks at a time. We've had to ask family fly in from out of state to stay with Corbin because our bosses have done more than enough to allow us to miss work. Corbin's parents do not qualify for the Ronald McDonald housing. His parents ARE living pay check to pay check and cannot afford to pay for anybody's time.
        This is just a small percentage of what his parents are facing. Mom and dad are working to provide as much as they can and are working with the insurance company to contribute to expenses incurred due to his life-threatening condition. It has taken a village of family to provide care for Corbin these past few years. And kind people all over the world have watched him grow and now want to be a part of his journey. And we are so very thankful for their care, concern, prayers, and donations. Every lit bit helps. It truly does.

How You Can Help
        The money donated to Corbin’s campaign will be used to help the family defray costs associated with caring for Corbin. When you donate to the campaign, you will: 
   +Bless his family with funds to help defray a host of travel expenses
       -Commutes to and from Seattle’s Children’s Hospital
       -Flights for out-of-town family who help provide weeks of care for Corbin at Seattle Children’s Hospital
       -Assist his family with the growing expenses of hospital bills for Corbin’s care and wellness.
       -Provide Corbin and his family with the comfort of knowing that others want to be a part of his journey for a strong healthy heart.
       
        If you'd like to be a part of Corbin’s journey, follow this campaign for updates on Corbin and his progress. Please also share this page on social media or with family and friends who may want to help or follow Corbin’s journey. And if you are able to donate anything, no matter how big or small, your generosity will never be forgotten. Together, we can help Corbin win this battle and share his light with the world for years to come.

Thank you ❤

If you are interested in learning more about organ transplants or how to become an organ donor click on the following link: www.organdonor.gov 

King 5 News heard about how Corbin face obstacles head-on with positivity like no one has ever seen and asked to feature his story. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade while you're at it.