Gabriel Anderson's Heart Surgery
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Gabriel Anderson is a 16 year old athlete who lives in Jones County, GA. He has a passion for wrestling with a dream to wrestle for North Carolina State. On January 21, 2019 he collapsed in our hallway from a heart attack. An echocardiogram revealed that he had a congenital heart defect known as an Anomalous left coronary artery. In May of 2019, Gabriel was referred to Texas Children's Hospital where they have a special team of physicians dedicated to the research and treatment of Coronary Anomalies. Testing confirmed scarring on his heart as a result of a heart attack and revealed that Gabriel's left coronary artery gets compressed each time his heart contracts, cutting off blood supply to his heart and brain. He has been scheduled for open heart surgery on August 8, 2019 to free the artery from becoming compressed. He has been placed on the cancellation list which could result in the surgery to be done much sooner. Estimated recovery time for Gabriel is 7-10 days in the hospital with a follow up 7-10 days post discharge. We anticipate having to stay in the Texas area for approx 3-4 weeks.
The stories of sudden death among young athletes are becoming far too common. Research shows that an anomalous Left Coronary artery is the #2 leading cause of sudden death in young athletes (depending on its course) with greater than 50% found during an autopsy. The presence of these congenital heart defects, along with many others, are often undiagnosed until the teenage years. Through Gabriel's story, we wish to raise awareness of the early signs and sympotoms, present warning signs and risks of sudden death in the young athletes in our community. Our goal is to educate families and to obtain better screening for our athletes.
In the meantime we are asking our family, friends and community for financial support to assist with medical costs, food and housing costs as we go through this time. Any amount donated would be a blessing. Most of all we ask for your continued prayers as we move forward in this journey.
The stories of sudden death among young athletes are becoming far too common. Research shows that an anomalous Left Coronary artery is the #2 leading cause of sudden death in young athletes (depending on its course) with greater than 50% found during an autopsy. The presence of these congenital heart defects, along with many others, are often undiagnosed until the teenage years. Through Gabriel's story, we wish to raise awareness of the early signs and sympotoms, present warning signs and risks of sudden death in the young athletes in our community. Our goal is to educate families and to obtain better screening for our athletes.
In the meantime we are asking our family, friends and community for financial support to assist with medical costs, food and housing costs as we go through this time. Any amount donated would be a blessing. Most of all we ask for your continued prayers as we move forward in this journey.
Organizer
Courtney Anderson
Organizer
Gray, GA
