Help Support Lorenzo With His Third Open Heart Surgery

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind-hearted Strangers,

We are reaching out to you today with heavy hearts and a plea for support for our precious son, Lorenzo. Born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), Lorenzo has faced unimaginable challenges since his birth. Now, as he prepares for his third open heart surgery, the Fontan procedure, we find ourselves in need of your help.

Lorenzo's journey has been filled with bravery and resilience. He spent the first two months of his life at Boston Children's Hospital. His first open heart surgery, the Norwood procedure, was at just three days old. During his interstage period we had to be involved in a rigorous and critical at home monitoring program. His second open heart surgery, the Glenn procedure, was performed at 4.5 months old. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks with an additional 6 weeks recovery. Despite his condition, and all the illnesses he has faced, he has shown us what true strength looks like. Even during a period of respiratory failure, he still ran around with a big smile on his face, unfazed by his struggles. However, his battle is far from over. He will have a cardiac catheterization and an electrophysiology study before his open heart surgery. The Fontan procedure is critical for his survival, but it comes with uncertainties and risks. As his cardiologist told us, "After this procedure, we will be waiting for the other shoe to drop." Beyond the immediate concerns, Lorenzo is likely to face liver and possibly kidney issues in the future. Also as unfortunate as it is, it's not a matter of if his heart will fail, but when. He has been doing well cardiac wise and we are hopeful everything goes well and do expect him to live a relatively normal life after this procedure.

The upcoming months will be incredibly challenging for our family as we get ready for his third open heart surgery. So we are trying to prepare ahead of time for this hard road. We need to travel out of state to Boston Children's Hospital for Lorenzo's surgery and recovery. Additionally, we must quarantine for two weeks before the surgery as well as his catheterization to ensure none of us are sick, as any illness could delay this crucial procedure. Following the surgery, Lorenzo and our family will need to quarantine another 6-8 weeks to protect him from infections, which he is prone to, given his lowered immune system levels. We will be in the hospital for his procedures and home for almost 3 months with no income.

Since Lorenzo's birth our family has been living on a single income. This was a hard thing to do but we needed Alysa, his mother, to stay home and take care of him full time. The added financial burden of more medical bills, travel expenses, and the loss of income during the quarantine and recovery period is overwhelming. Two to three months with no income is going to be an incredible setback that would be hard to recover from.

We are humbly asking for your help to cover these essential expenses, including:

- Medical bills

- Travel to and from Boston

- Basic daily needs

- Lodging and food during our stay

- Care for our animals while we are away

- Home bills

- Any unforeseen expenses

Lorenzo is our little heart warrior, and we are praying for a swift and smooth recovery. Your donations, no matter how small, will make an immense difference in our lives and provide us with the means to focus solely on Lorenzo's health and well-being.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your time, attention, and consideration in helping our family navigate through this incredibly tough journey. Your support and prayers mean the world to us. ❤️

With heartfelt gratitude,

Lorenzo, Vincent, and Alysa Caiazzo