Help Cooper Breathe Easy: Support His Surgery

This is my grandson Cooper. Since birth, he has had an ongoing issue with breathing and wheezing. He has been admitted to the hospital multiple times with no true diagnosis, until now.

We recently found out that he was born with a birth defect with the arteries from his heart. Doctors say that the defect is not uncommon, but many don’t even have symptoms or know they have it until it is found out accidentally later in life. They tell us that in some cases, surgery is needed to correct the condition. The surgery is normally done robotically and is minimally invasive. He needed more tests to see what was next.

After more testing, the news got worse. Cooper not only needs surgery, but he will need a very invasive inter-thoracic surgery rather than robotic surgery.

His trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (throat) are completely obliterated from the pressure of the vascular ring being wrapped around it. He will also need those two structures reconstructed. The doctors at Children’s Hospital are expecting about a 1-year recovery time after surgery.

When Cooper goes for his extended hospital stay for surgery, his mom will obviously be there but cannot stay in the hospital with him. The hospital is a couple of hours from home. Dad will be there as much as humanly possible while still working full-time and taking care of Cooper's sister. Mom will need help with travel expenses as well as travel home to spend time with Cooper's big sister and Dad, as well as her own appointments as she is expecting a little sister for Cooper in a few months!

As you can imagine, this is going to be a tough time for the family. We ask for as many prayers as we can get; they will all be greatly appreciated. If you feel the need to donate, please do so! And if you can’t, or do not feel inclined to donate, can you PLEASE share this link on any social media platform that you have!