Help Devan's Heart
Donation protected
Let us tell you a little about our son, Devan —
A 14 year old from Hopatcong, NJ, Devan was born with a hole in his heart. At only one day old he underwent emergency catheterization in his pulmonary valve, and after barely making it out of the nursery room, he was immediately subject to the gamut of follow-ups. Intense routines of EKG's and echocardiograms have been a part of his life ever since.
After years of relatively good health, dedicated community service through multiple programs, and acceptance into a competitive vocational school, Devan recently began a fight for his life. Devan’s heart was enlarged at birth, and every day sees it growing larger. In December, we started noticing Devan was always tired. Then he started complaining about being short of breath, and then there were chest pains. This became a daily occurrence, and episodes steadily became worst. Devan began turning blue often, and a heart monitor detected an irregular heartbeat. Devan's doctor recently discovered the right side of Devan's heart was extremely enlarged. After failing a stress test, it's been determined Devan desperately needs open heart surgery to close the hole and replace the pulmonary valve in his heart.
You could say Devan is anything but ordinary — but ordinary isn’t the life he wants anyway. As a child, Devan never used his condition as an excuse to 'take it easy;' in fact he insisted on doing for himself everything he saw others do. He loves to work with his hands — especially on the ATV’s and motorcycles he and his dad ride together. His focus and determination to learn advanced machine skills recently resulted in his acceptance to the ultra-competitive Sussex County Vocational-Technical School which he'll begin in the fall. Devan’s dream to be a welder and build even greater structures than ATV motors.
Sports have also been a big part of Devan's life. With seemingly boundless energy until recently, Devan's played basketball and football for seven years, valued by teammates and coaches not only for his size but his team-first spirit. As his condition slowed him over the past few years, Devan only became more determined to compete and complete the Hopatcong Warrior Football program. He did so last season and was awarded his game helmet by the league.
What's most extraordinary about Devan is his passion for helping others. A member of the Boy Scouts since young, he is a long time member of Troop 191 in Hopatcong, and serves as the troop librarian, organizing an extensive archive of reference material for fellow scouts. Recognized by scout leaders for his kindness and gentle nature, Devan often instructs younger scouts towards merit badges and advancement. He himself recently achieved the rank of First Class, and hopes to be an Eagle Scout in the near future.
Devan also volunteers what little free time he has at the Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge. He was inducted into the Elks junior program, known as the “Antlers” in November 2014. As an Antler, Devan supports the various charity functions of the Elks organization by working as support staff, assisting in the kitchen, serving food, waiting tables during fund-raising dinners, and helping in general whenever and wherever he can.
The energy, empathy, and charisma Devan brings to others comes despite being born with a hole in his heart. At one day old he underwent catheterization in his pulmonary valve, and has had to undergo the gamut of follow-ups. EKGs and echocardiogram have been as much a part of his life as the outdoors.
We were told by doctors that despite his energy, Devan’s heart defect would slowly worsen his condition, and that by puberty, we’d see the most drastic of changes. In December, we started noticing Devan was always tired. Then he started complaining about being short of breath, and then there were chest pains. This became a daily occurrence, and episodes steadily became worst. Devan began turning blue often, and a heart monitor detected an irregular heartbeat. Devan's doctor recently discovered the right side of Devan's heart was extremely enlarged. After failing a stress test, it's been determined Devan desperately needs open heart surgery to close the hole and replace the pulmonary valve in his heart.
A 14 year old from Hopatcong, NJ, Devan was born with a hole in his heart. At only one day old he underwent emergency catheterization in his pulmonary valve, and after barely making it out of the nursery room, he was immediately subject to the gamut of follow-ups. Intense routines of EKG's and echocardiograms have been a part of his life ever since.
After years of relatively good health, dedicated community service through multiple programs, and acceptance into a competitive vocational school, Devan recently began a fight for his life. Devan’s heart was enlarged at birth, and every day sees it growing larger. In December, we started noticing Devan was always tired. Then he started complaining about being short of breath, and then there were chest pains. This became a daily occurrence, and episodes steadily became worst. Devan began turning blue often, and a heart monitor detected an irregular heartbeat. Devan's doctor recently discovered the right side of Devan's heart was extremely enlarged. After failing a stress test, it's been determined Devan desperately needs open heart surgery to close the hole and replace the pulmonary valve in his heart.
You could say Devan is anything but ordinary — but ordinary isn’t the life he wants anyway. As a child, Devan never used his condition as an excuse to 'take it easy;' in fact he insisted on doing for himself everything he saw others do. He loves to work with his hands — especially on the ATV’s and motorcycles he and his dad ride together. His focus and determination to learn advanced machine skills recently resulted in his acceptance to the ultra-competitive Sussex County Vocational-Technical School which he'll begin in the fall. Devan’s dream to be a welder and build even greater structures than ATV motors.
Sports have also been a big part of Devan's life. With seemingly boundless energy until recently, Devan's played basketball and football for seven years, valued by teammates and coaches not only for his size but his team-first spirit. As his condition slowed him over the past few years, Devan only became more determined to compete and complete the Hopatcong Warrior Football program. He did so last season and was awarded his game helmet by the league.
What's most extraordinary about Devan is his passion for helping others. A member of the Boy Scouts since young, he is a long time member of Troop 191 in Hopatcong, and serves as the troop librarian, organizing an extensive archive of reference material for fellow scouts. Recognized by scout leaders for his kindness and gentle nature, Devan often instructs younger scouts towards merit badges and advancement. He himself recently achieved the rank of First Class, and hopes to be an Eagle Scout in the near future.
Devan also volunteers what little free time he has at the Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge. He was inducted into the Elks junior program, known as the “Antlers” in November 2014. As an Antler, Devan supports the various charity functions of the Elks organization by working as support staff, assisting in the kitchen, serving food, waiting tables during fund-raising dinners, and helping in general whenever and wherever he can.
The energy, empathy, and charisma Devan brings to others comes despite being born with a hole in his heart. At one day old he underwent catheterization in his pulmonary valve, and has had to undergo the gamut of follow-ups. EKGs and echocardiogram have been as much a part of his life as the outdoors.
We were told by doctors that despite his energy, Devan’s heart defect would slowly worsen his condition, and that by puberty, we’d see the most drastic of changes. In December, we started noticing Devan was always tired. Then he started complaining about being short of breath, and then there were chest pains. This became a daily occurrence, and episodes steadily became worst. Devan began turning blue often, and a heart monitor detected an irregular heartbeat. Devan's doctor recently discovered the right side of Devan's heart was extremely enlarged. After failing a stress test, it's been determined Devan desperately needs open heart surgery to close the hole and replace the pulmonary valve in his heart.
Organiser
Donetta Monroe Heins
Organiser
Hopatcong, NJ