Help Support the Medical Expenses for Luca

Hi, my name is Kayleigh Conrad. You may have seen me asking for prayers for my friend Ashley and her family.

Ashley birthed a beautiful baby boy, Luca Blue Cagle, on 3/26/22. After Luca was born, he was taken to the NICU for breathing issues. After being in the NICU for several hours, his oxygen levels did not improve; the doctors started to do some tests. They discovered that Luca has a rare heart condition where his heart didn't develop correctly. He was then airlifted to Duke Hospital to be treated (their insurance might not cover this). He has Pulmonary Atresia with intact ventricular septum. Less than 1% of babies are born with this.

On Tuesday night, Luca suffered a massive heart attack. After having CPR for 45 minutes, he is stable but in critical condition. The doctors have stated that his organs are functioning correctly, his lungs are perfect, and he has no signs of brain damage. His heart is essentially half of a heart but shows no damage from the CPR or the ECMO machine that is keeping him alive.

Luca is currently somewhat sedated to keep him comfortable, but he responds to touch, opens his eyes, and grabs your fingers. The plan of action is to keep him on ECMO for a few days to let his heart rest and for him to stay stable. He will then have surgery to place an LVAD, which is a pump to keep his heart going until he can get a transplant.

Ashley and her husband, Chris, are excellent parents. They are hard-working and have been up day and night to be with their sweet baby boy. They also have two older boys at home, Ezra and Grayson. That will need love and support during this challenging time.

We pray that Luca’s doctors see improvements and that baby Luca gets a heart soon! Any amount, big or small, is greatly appreciated. EVEN JUST WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT or PRAYERS! All proceeds will help directly with associated medical costs, hospital stays, and appointments. Lastly, please keep this sweet family in your prayers.