Baby Darwin's Medical Expenses

On July 12th, 2018, my sister gave birth to her first child, a beautiful baby boy that her and her husband named Darwin. He was 6lbs 13oz and couldn't be more perfect. The doctors told her that he had a heart murmur, but that it wasn't uncommon in newborns and that once the PDA valve in his heart closed, it should fix itself and they were discharged. They scheduled an appointment with a cardiologist four weeks out to follow up on the issues. Over those four weeks, Darwin's weight dropped 10oz, he was having trouble eating and even breathing.

Yesterday, August 9th, they took baby Darwin in for his cardiologist appointment. After an ultrasound and several other tests the doctor returned with bad news. He told them the condition was much more serious than they had thought. That it wasn't his PDA valve that was causing the murmur, but a severely constricted aorta, and that it was a miracle that baby Darwin was even alive. From there he was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was stabilized then taken to the airport and flown to a children's hospital in Aurora, Colorado with a medical team accompanying him to have emergency open heart surgery performed.

My family and I knew we needed to be there to support my sister and her husband so we packed our bags and headed for Colorado as quickly as we could. The doctors and nurses at the children's hospital explained to us that they would have to first insert a balloon into his heart to open the constricted aorta and give it the necessary relief to keep him alive. If all goes well, the plan is to let his heart recover from the strain that it has been under and in roughly a week, perform surgery to remove the trouble section of his aorta. It is a very serious surgery and potentially life threatening. Even if all goes well, they said that he may have to remain here for up to two months.

Tragedies like this are never easy to overcome, especially for a budding family that is just finding their way and getting on their feet. The overflow of support that we've received from our friends and family has helped us all to stay strong for our little boy who is already so loved and without whom we can't imagine a future. I have no idea what the medical bills will stack up to. Or how the time that they can't work will effect their every day bills that will continue to grow. The last thing they need in this time of pain and healing is to be worried about such things. Their hearts and minds should be with their son and making sure he is comfortable and well loved. That is why I'm asking that if you have it to spare, you might donate to this worthy cause or simply share this campaign and help a little boy and his family fight a fight that they cannot win on their own.

- with so much love, uncle Graham.