Elijah Strong a Journey to freedom

~ Elijah's Story ~

Late in pregnancy, we learned something was seriously wrong with Elijah’s heart. His condition is incredibly rare and affects nearly every system in his body. Doctors called him “incompatible with life,” but we believed in miracles. We named him Elijah Caden — after a prophet who performed miracles, and a name meaning “fighter.” He has lived up to both.

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A Fighter From Day One (open heart surgery #1)

Elijah’s fight began at five days old when doctors considered comfort care. Instead, they placed a PDA stent to keep blood flowing. At four months, the stent closed suddenly, sending him into heart failure and requiring an extremely invasive procedure to place him on ECMO (invasive life support). After recovery, he received his first open heart surgery to place a BT shunt to help blood reach his lungs.

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Hope Beyond Half a Heart (Open Heart Surgery #2)

At 10 months, he had his second open heart surgery a bilateral bidirectional Glenn — part of the single ventricle pathway. This palliative series of surgeries allows the body to function with half a heart, often leading to organ damage and the need for transplants. But we didn’t accept that path. We sought out the world’s best and, with SickKids and Boston Children’s Hospital, aimed for a complete repair.

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❤️ Rebuilding His Heart (Open Heart Surgery #3)

That came in May 2021, in one of SickKids’ most complex surgeries. Dr. Honjo created an intracardiac baffle, placed a conduit, reconstructed a common valve, and closed a large AV canal defect — essentially building Elijah’s heart from the inside out.

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Complications and Setbacks (Open Heart Surgery #4 and Brain Surgery)

Six months later, Elijah underwent brain surgery for a Chiari malformation, unrelated to his heart condition but just as dangerous. A year later, complications with the Glenn circulation required another high-risk open-heart surgery. The Glenn was taken down, veins reconnected, and Dr. Honjo did a sutureless repair to protect his pulmonary veins. Still, the disease has progressed.

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⚠️ What Comes Next (Open Heart Surgery #5)

Now 7 years old, Elijah is facing the most critical surgery of his life. Boston Children’s Hospital has recommended a modified sutureless repair — carefully removing stents, rerouting pulmonary veins to reduce turbulence, and repairing other damaged structures: his calcified conduit, severely leaking valve, and any obstructions in the baffle.

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✨ A Chance at Childhood

If successful, this surgery could stabilize his disease, allowing him to breathe, grow, and experience something he's never had: stability. A chance at childhood. A chance at life.

We’ve always fought for his right to care, to life, and to thrive — and now we fight for his future. Elijah has never stopped fighting. Neither will we.

Where Your Support Goes

For nearly 8 years, we’ve been surrounded by love, community, and a dedicated medical team. As Elijah faces his most life-changing surgery, we are preparing emotionally, logistically, and financially — whether it happens in Toronto or Boston.

We are selling belongings, cutting back, and exploring every option to give him the best shot — but we can’t do it alone.

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If Surgery Happens in Toronto:

Even with universal healthcare, essential parts of Elijah’s care aren’t covered — especially two critical post-op medications:

Gleevec (Imatinib) and Sirolimus are used together to prevent the veins from narrowing again by halting scar tissue growth. These drugs are off-label, unfunded, and require urgent access. Waiting could compromise surgery success.

Estimated cost: $600+/month, not including:

Ongoing labs and imaging

Medical supplies

Time off work and care for Elijah and our other children

Even in Toronto, we face thousands of dollars in essential expenses.

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If Surgery Happens in Boston:

Boston pioneered this advanced repair and is already showing success in cases like Elijah’s. If our team believes Elijah needs this surgery, we will follow their lead.

But Ontario no longer covers out-of-country surgeries.

Estimated cost:

$250,000–$350,000 for surgery and hospitalization

Travel, accommodations, medications, and aftercare

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THANK YOU!!! ❤️

We’re not asking lightly. We’re doing everything we can — and we still need help. These next steps could finally give Elijah a future with fewer machines and more childhood.

Every donation, share, and kind word means the world to us. You are helping us give Elijah what he’s never stopped fighting for: life.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you.