As Jimmy Kimmel so movingly said, "No parent should have to decide if they can afford to save their child’s life", but that is exactly what this family has to do unless we all step up and help out.  That's why I, their pediatrician, felt moved to ask their mom if I could reach out to all of you for support.

Andrea and Ralph are 12 and 7 year old siblings who live near Charleston,  SC and attend public school here.  They are both fun, smart, motivated children, and they were both born with severe, life threatening heart conditions which have not been treated due to financial limitations. 

Andrea and Ralph were both born in the Philippines and diagnosed as young children Tetralogy of Fallot (the very same condition that Jimmy Kimmel's son Billy has).

Unfortunately, unlike Billy, Andrea and Ralph's hearts have not been repaired. So far, they are both doing exceptionally well for their heart defect, but without repair, they will go into heart failure.

Andrea, Ralph, and their family moved to Charleston, SC in 2015, where their mom works in the school system. 

They have both been seen by pediatric cardiologists at MUSC, the primary teaching hospital in Charleston. Ralph has straight-forward Tetralogy of Fallot, and the surgeons believe his repair will be completed in 1 surgery, but will still require ICU post-operative care. 

Andrea's Tetralogy of Fallot is more complex, paired with pulmonary atresia. Thanks to the funds already received, Andrea has had a CT scan completed, and while the severity of her pulmonary atresia at this point makes a surgical repair impossible, the family is working with the pediatric cardiologists at MUSC to see if there are measures possible to extend her life.

We have been able to sign Ralph up for insurance through the ACA, which will allow him to get surgery at MUSC, but they do not qualify for any subsidies and the premiums and deductible are well beyond the family's means. They need our help to pay for them, to get Ralph this lifesaving surgery.

All donations will be spent on medical bills for Andrea and Ralph, and the funds are going directly to their mother, Aurora. 

If you would rather not donate through gofundme, please contact me directly, and we can work out another way to donate.

Thank you all for your generosity, and helping this family focus on the support to their amazing children, and not on finances!

All the best, 
Anna