Our baby boy was born on December 20th, 2024, with a severe congenital heart disease. From his very first breaths, he has been fighting for his life.

As new parents, we spent the first months of his life going back and forth to UCLA, learning how to be strong even when we were terrified. His first open-heart surgery shortly after birth saved him, but his condition remained complex, and we knew more surgeries were ahead.

On November 13th, 2025 he underwent another major and incredibly complex open-heart surgery, including:

Biventricular repair

VSD patch closure to the aorta

Removal of pulmonary artery band

Bilateral pulmonary artery plasty

Possible Glenn shunt

Intra-operative conduction system mapping

Closure of median sternotomy

We are deeply grateful to the extraordinary UCLA pediatric cardiac surgery team whose skill and compassion have given our son a chance at life. But the road has been unimaginably difficult.

This peaceful picture was taken just before surgery — our last moment with him awake.

This photo was taken shortly after our son’s life-saving surgery. We hesitated to share it, but we want people to understand the seriousness of what he is fighting through. He is sedated, intubated, and surrounded by machines that are helping him survive. We share this not to shock anyone, but to show the reality families like ours face — and why your support truly means the world right now.

Our Situation as Parents

I (Angel) used all of my FMLA during his birth and first surgery. Right now, I’m on personal leave from work so I can remain by his bedside. I am terrified of failing my family financially while trying to do what any parent would — staying with their child during the fight of his life.

My wife has been the most devoted mother imaginable. She worked part-time, and together we balanced care between us. When I worked full-time, she stayed home caring for our son. Now she is here day and night, loving him through every alarm and every hurdle.

Our savings were already wiped out from his first long hospitalization. This new stay — along with travel to UCLA, gas, parking, meals, and lost income — has pushed us into a place we never imagined we’d be.

We are trying our hardest, but we are scared. Truly scared.

Why We Are Asking for Help

We are humbly asking for support so we can stay afloat while our son heals. Funds will help cover:

Rent and essential bills

Gas and transportation to UCLA

Meals during long hospital days

Lost income while I am unable to return to work

Baby supplies and medical needs after discharge

Anything helps — even sharing this page or sending a message of support. Every bit lifts us up.

Thank you for reading our story and for caring about our little boy. We cannot wait for the day he is strong enough to come home, laugh, play, and live the childhood he has fought so bravely for.

With love and gratitude,

Angel & Family