It is with heavy heart that I construct this Go Fund Me page to help support my youngest nephew, Santieno James get the medical attention currently needed.

His mother, Gwen had an incompetent cervix and was diagnosed with a reverse and absent blood flow in the umbilical chord, which caused her placenta to form differently.  Her placenta stopped working correctly around 30 weeks.  At that time, Gwen was placed in hospital care and scheduled to give birth at 32 weeks.  The doctors felt that if Santieno remained in his mother's  womb any longer, he would be faced with more challenges than the ones he is currently battling. 

Santieno James was born prematurely at 32 weeks, on July 28th , 2020.  Santieno weighed 2 lbs. 14.2 oz and was 15 1/2 inches long. 

Baby Santieno is at risk of having a Biliary Atresia and could need a serious surgery called Kasai.  He is gaining weigh and today weighs in at 5 lbs.  1 oz..

Yesterday, Santieno was abruptly transferred from Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center  in Wiles-Barre, PA to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, TCHOP.  Geisinger is a two hour drive from where Vinny and Gwen live and TCHOP is a four hour drive. 

Due to the challenges we are facing because of Covid, distance, and ever changing medical concerns Gwen and Santieno have been up against, my brother Vinny and Gwen have lost a lot of days at work and are told that the insurance they carry will not cover Santieno's medical care in full.

Many family and friends have asked what they can do to help out at this unsettling time and  prayers along with a donation to support the medical expenses involved in giving Santieno a chance at life, is all I can think of.

Thank you for your support.  May God Bless you and yours ALWAYS!