Help Little Superman Ivan Overcome Heart Surgery

My name is Anita Favela. I am Ivan’s grandma. He’s already had one heart surgery before he was even one year old. This will be his second surgery for his little heart. He had his first one in Kansas City, Missouri. At the time, he lived in Liberal, Kansas with his parents. Now they live in Amarillo, Texas.

Our grandson Ivan, aka (Superman) as my sister calls him, had trouble getting in to see a doctor when they first moved to Amarillo because he didn’t have his insurance at the time. It took a while to get it, but he finally received his insurance card. When he was finally seen by a doctor for his heart, my daughter was told that he has DiGeorge syndrome. Not what any parent or grandparent wants to hear, but that doesn’t keep us from loving him with everything we have!! Ivan’s an amazing little boy and very smart even with his condition, and he’s a strong little boy too.

If anyone has a loved one with a heart condition and syndrome like he has, they will understand that it’s a challenge for them with their precious life. Most of them don’t get to have a chance at life. We don’t know our grandson’s outcome in his life because his parents have been told that every day we have him is a blessing, meaning that at any day we could lose him because of his condition. Not many people with this condition will live to become a teenager or an adult and experience life like the rest of us! They say that God only gives us what we can handle, and we’ve all been in situations we don’t want to be in. For us, this is one of them, but unfortunately, this is life, and we are dealing with it the best way we can. Every day that we have our little Superman is a blessing for me, and I’m so thankful that he was brought into our life. It just lets me know that God knew we could deal with this, and we are not giving up. Our little Superman is one of the strongest little boys I know, and he’s just a big blessing in our lives.

Our Ivan had one of his surgeries this morning, and tomorrow he’s having his big surgery. Not what a grandma wants to hear on their birthday, but it happens. The nurses are waking him up, and around midnight they will feed him. Then around maybe 2 am, they will prep him again for his heart surgery. After his surgery is done, they will keep him asleep for three days so he can heal because our little Superman is going to want to move around and not want to rest because he will be so excited seeing his parents and sister. What baby isn’t?? So he’ll be sleeping for those three days, something else a grandparent doesn’t want to hear! But we are leaving it all in God’s hands, and our grandson Ivan, aka (Superman), is going to be just fine because he’s a fighter, and there’s no kryptonite that can keep him down!!!

The GoFundMe I’m starting for Ivan is to help with medical expenses because the insurance only pays so much and also to help with food expenses for his parents, traveling expenses, and room and board. I’m not wanting to go overboard on a goal, so I’m starting with $1,500 as a goal. And I’d like to thank everyone in advance who can help with donations. Anything helps; we appreciate anything we can get in donations, and God bless you all for taking the time to read about our precious Ivan, aka (Superman).

Our little man Ivan Mercado Schreiner was born May 4, 2023, and was born with a heart condition. A year later, he was diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome. He’s the most precious little boy you could ever know, as any other grandchild in this world. Please, if you can help, we would really appreciate it so much, and God bless you and be with you. From one grandparent to another, our children are everything, and our grandbabies are our world, our universe!! We thank you from the Favela Family!!!