Nicholas the Heart Warrior: Battle against CHD

Hello,

We are Carly and Eric Rizo, fundraising for our son Nicholas and his battle against Congenital Heart Disease.

Nicholas Ethan Rizo was born at 4:57 PM on June 15th, 2022, at just 3lbs 1oz (1.4KG).

Nicholas is the youngest of our three sons and is a twin!

Early into the pregnancy, we learned that our Baby B (Nicholas) had a Marginal Cord Insertion and a growth restriction (IUGR), most likely due to cord concerns. We were being monitored closely by our Maternal-Fetal Medicine doctors. At Carly’s 22-week ultrasound appointment, it was discovered that Baby B might have heart concerns requiring a follow-up with an echocardiogram.

After imaging review, doctors suggested transferring Carly’s care to a hospital specializing in taking care of Nicholas’ condition before and after his birth as it was vital to his survival.

We began seeking prenatal care for Nicholas in Chicago, IL. A clearer picture of Nicholas' heart health emerged through additional imaging in utero. His little heart was worse than initially seen in his first few echocardiograms, and it scared us.

After Nicholas’ birth, his diagnosis was officially confirmed. Nicholas has three congenital heart defects, a rare occurrence when all are found together.

Thankfully, doctors found these defects while Carly was still pregnant, allowing Nicholas to get the best care imaginable before and after birth. Together, we have been working with doctors and surgeons to understand Nicholas’ condition better and are armed with information to help give Nicholas a fighting chance at life. We were told a fetal heart is fully formed within the first several weeks of pregnancy, and one of our doctors told us that Nicholas shouldn’t have survived, but he did! He was and still is a fighter!

Nicholas experienced his first open-heart surgery at just NINE days old.

This first surgery completed for Nicholas is called a hybrid surgery, allowing him to grow bigger and stronger until doctors can perform a complete repair. His subsequent surgery will be another open heart surgery with bypass, hopefully, his last open-heart surgery.

We hope to ease our financial stress so we can focus on spending more time with all three of our sons as a new family of 5. This fundraiser is to help with all of Nicholas’ ICU bills, medications and medical costs for both this surgery and his subsequent surgery that will happen in a few short months (and any future surgeries if needed). It will also help us with gas and parking for the numerous follow-up appointments with his Cardiac team in Chicago.

Any donation is appreciated. Any help in sharing this fundraiser is also appreciated.

Thank you for your love and support!

At this time, due to his vulnerability, we will not be sharing any pictures of Nicholas.

Once he is more stable and we start posting more updates, we would love to post a picture of our warrior.

Love,

Eric and Carly