Dear Family and Friends,
We are reaching out to provide an update on Khailer's health journey. As many of you know or don’t know, Khailer was born with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot and has undergone multiple procedures, including two complex open-heart surgeries, and the implantation of a Pacemaker to treat Atrioventricular block.
His last open-heart surgery in June 2016 involved the replacement of his pulmonary valve with a New Valve which happens to be a bovine (cow) valve. These valves do not grow with Khailer, and after nine years, he has outgrown it, making his heart sick again. On top of his heart complications, he is also dealing with the ongoing issue of narrowing pulmonary arteries, requiring surgical operation to have stents in place to maintain proper blood flow.
During a recent Cardiac Catheterization (access through the groin area) procedure on August 18th, 2025, to dilate the stents, doctors discovered that the stents are fractured which created a sac, thus requiring a surgical plan to install a patch. This means his current stents cannot be dilated nor replaced through catheterization. Further examination during this procedure revealed a new complication: Khailer’s coronary arteries are located too close to the pulmonary valve. This finding prevented any further intervention during the procedure and has complicated his Medical Case.
After an extensive and thorough review by a team of Heart and Lung Surgeons, it was determined that Khailer requires a Third Open-Heart surgery for complex reconstruction of his pulmonary valve and pulmonary arteries. Unfortunately, his current hospital here in Oahu, Hawaii lacks the necessary Medical Surgeon Facility Familiarization, experienced ICU staff and specialized equipment to perform this intricate reconstructive operation. As a result, Khailer's Medical Case has been transferred to Stanford Children’s Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, where he is expected to be an inpatient for approximately 3-4 weeks with an expedited tentative surgery date in October 2025.
This news was unexpected, as we were previously told many times that future open-heart surgeries for his valve and arteries would not be necessary. Sheri and I are committed to supporting our 19-year-old son during this challenging time. We can't let him go through this alone, and to be with him, we humbly ask for your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us and would allow us to be a part of his journey.
We ask for your continued prayers for Khailer.