Oliver’s Army - Heart of a Champion Fundraiser

We have all faced challenges in life - some greater than others. We thought we understood the meaning of courage until our miracle and greatest gift in life, Oliver Thomas, was born in 2009. He is our nephew and our hero.

Ollie came into our world with multiple, immediately life threatening, congenital heart defects which were not detected prior to his birth. In addition, our sister Jen experienced severe complications promptly after giving birth which resulted in emergency surgery. Our brother-in-law, Geoff, was a pillar of love and fortitude during this harrowing time. Their collective strength was unparalleled, to say the least.

The first seven years of Oliver’s life consisted of 7 open heart surgeries, a cardiac arrest, 2 strokes, and countless invasive procedures. He and his parents lived in hospitals in Los Angeles and Boston until Ollie was four. After that, they were able to move back home, in LA, receiving nursing at home and shorter local hospital stays.

Ollie has been able to go to school, but with many limitations due to his heart and the permanent effects of the strokes. He cannot play sports, is particularly susceptible to virus and infection, and has never been able to eat solid food. Despite these obstacles, Oliver is one of the funniest and most loving people we know. He has a passion for Funko Pops, vintage Pez dispensers, books, music, and other collectibles. He has memorized the name of every US President including the dates they served, and personal facts about them (like the names of their wives and children!). He loves to read, play loud music, and listen to stories about just about anything - the funnier the better!

Oliver is now 14 years old. Over the past year his heart function started to deteriorate.

On October 16th of this year, doctors at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) did an exploratory catheterization procedure, which revealed Oliver’s heart was very sick. Three days later, it was determined that the only course of treatment would be a heart transplant. On October 31st, he was listed in the National Heart Transplant database. The anticipated wait time was 6-8 weeks, but by the grace of God, Oliver received a new heart only one week later on November 7th.

The surgery went incredibly well, and Oliver is recovering in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at CHLA, where he will remain for the next several weeks. The speed with which he received a new heart is nothing short of a miracle and our family is eternally grateful.

The road to recovery is a long one and there are significant out of pocket costs for the family, notwithstanding the significant expense of Oliver’s care to date. The family has spared no expense in order to provide Ollie with every therapy and necessary form of care to assure his well being.

Going forward, the family will incur material expenses. For example:

Crucial life-long medications related to the heart transplant which are not covered by insurance

Therapies related to Oliver’s rehabilitation such as physical, occupational, and alternative therapies

24/7 nursing for the first year post surgery

Loss of income for our sister as she will be unable to work in order to care for Oliver

We have started a Go Fund Me to help ease the financial burden on Oliver’s Mom and Dad. From the bottom of our hearts we humbly ask that you share this link with friends and family and, if possible, consider giving (any amount will help!). Simply posting the link on your social media platform would be a tremendous help!

Please join Oliver’s Army of Angels, and hold positive thoughts and prayers for our little fighter!

We thank you for your consideration and support and may God bless every one of you for taking the time to read our story ❤️

With love and gratitude,

Katie Melchior Shinder and Tracy Melchior Roybal

-- Ollie’s “Aunties”