Hi there!

We are Hannah and Jacob, and we are Xavier's mom and dad! Xavier was born with what is called an Atrial Ventricular Septal Defect (AVSD), which is a very common heart defect for those with Down Syndrome. AVSD is essentially a hole right smack dab in the middle of the heart, and it affects all 4 chambers. This causes his heart to work way harder than it needs to, as it is sending already oxygenated blood back out to the lungs instead of out to the rest of his body.

Xavier sees a pediatric cardiologist here in Wichita who monitors his heart. Xavier will require open-heart surgery to repair the AVSD. Unfortunately, Wichita does not have a pediatric cardiologist surgeon, so we were referred to Children's Mercy in Kansas City.

We have already made one trip up to Children's Mercy for an echocardiogram, and we will be going up once more in July to meet Xavier's surgeon, Dr. Douglas.

Xavier's surgery is scheduled for August 12th, 2025, with his Pre-Admissions Testing appointment on the 11th. Xavier will stay in the PICU post-surgery, and then move to the main cardio floor once he stabilizes after a few days and will remain there for up to a couple of weeks.

After we are finally home from Children's Mercy, I (Hannah, Xavier's mama) will be taking time off work to remain home with Xavier while he regains his strength before returning to his daycare.

We are creating this GoFundMe to help with the costs of this big surgery. We have kept up with Xavier's medical costs for the most part so far, but we know that this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the financial costs of surgery, hospital stays, lodging, gas, missed wages, etc.

We appreciate EVERYONE'S support for our awesome little dude, whether it be financial, emotional, or even just good ole thoughts and prayers. It takes a village, and we are sure thankful for ours!