We are reaching out to share our son Hayden’s journey and the challenges he has faced over the years. In 2014, he bravely joined the Air Force; at boot camp, he was in top physical condition and was even selected as the guidon bearer for his flight. Unfortunately, halfway through, a routine medical test revealed a ¾ inch hole in his heart, which placed him on medical hold. He had to watch helplessly as his flight graduated, all while waiting to find out if he would be able to continue his military career or be sent home for surgery.

Ultimately, he was sent home to have the hole repaired, but things took a turn for the worse during surgery. His heart never restarted on its own, requiring a permanent pacemaker to keep it functioning. To add to the devastation, he suffered a stroke during the procedure, which affected his visual cortex and left him with partial blindness in both eyes. Despite these hurdles, he made some difficult life choices, built a solid career in a field he enjoys, and adapted to his new way of seeing the world.

Fast forward to May 19, 2025, when Hayden’s life took another unexpected turn. While supporting a friend who had pneumonia, he caught it himself and ended up in the ER, where doctors discovered he not only had pneumonia but also sepsis that had attacked the lead wires of his pacemaker. After many tests, some quite invasive, they found that he was in what appeared to be congestive heart failure as his mitral valve had significant stenosis. After 11 years and due to the infection, they needed to replace the leads, which is a very risky procedure, along with the pacemaker. Oddly enough, we are lucky he got sick enough to go to the emergency room as that is how they found the stenosis requiring a life-saving valve replacement.

After facing enormous risks and challenges, an incredible team of surgeons, doctors, and nurses dedicated over 38 days to his care. He was on the operating table for 13 hours, had to re-open his chest again five days later, and spent four agonizing weeks in ICU battling infections and recovery setbacks. Thanks to the amazing skills of his medical team, the valve replacement and new 3-lead pacemaker install went well, and he is now back home, still undergoing IV antibiotics for the remainder of the sepsis treatment.

However, this journey has not been free. While Hayden had some insurance coverage, it doesn’t cover everything, and the medical expenses are piling up. Additionally, the time he’s missed from work during his recovery means lost wages. Recovery will take several months, and although our family will do our best to support him, we are seeking help to ease the financial burden he is facing.

We are asking for your support to cover:

- Ongoing treatment and monitoring of blood clots for the rest of his life

- Specialist visits and diagnostic scans

- Medical expenses not fully covered by insurance

- Recovery of lost wages as disability does not cover 100%

Anything you can contribute would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your kindness and support during this challenging time.

Thank you for taking the time to read this,

His loving parents, Micheal and Cindy.