Stafford's Story
Donation protected
Meghan and Chris Van Hattum are the proud parents of heart warrior, Stafford Van Hattum. From the time Stafford was in utero, Meghan and Chris have been a part of heart research in hopes to advance medicine, treatment and prenatal health outcomes.
Stafford had his 1st open heart surgery at 36 hours old. His teeny, tiny heart was the size of a quarter or walnut. 25% of critical and complex congenital heart babies don’t make it to their first birthday. Stafford just recently celebrated his 2nd Birthday in January! He has 7 heart defects none of which are corrected, and they don’t know if they ever will be. He has a lot to deal with from a very rare GI anomaly, lung issues, feeding intolerances, developmental delays and so forth. His muscle tone is also low, and he’s been working incredibly hard with PT, OT, Speech, Chiro, etc. Stafford’s low tone will never go away (due to his heart), but it can definitely improve, and his body will learn to compensate.
In April 2020, Chris and Meghan learned that Stafford’s prognosis was not good. They learned he was out of surgical interventions and now looking at palliative care. Then in August, they sought a 2nd opinion and Stafford’s hearth cath and CT scan confirmed April’s prognosis. Stafford’s current condition is stable and that alone deserves much praise! However, due to his heart defects and lungs he can spiral downward at any given moment. They have gone over the risks and benefits of exploratory surgery. Some of you are probably thinking of course do the surgery, but you won’t understand the stress of having to travel thousands of miles away, relocating to temporary housing during Covid without family & friends. Stafford’s surgeon told them to expect a minimum of a month stay.
Despite these hardships, they have decided to move forward with the surgery on his lungs and will be headed to Stanford, in California, the first week of March. Will that give him more longevity? They don’t know. Will it help improve his oxygen? They don’t know. What they do know is that he will undergo an 8–10-hour exploratory surgery on his lungs in hopes to improve blood flow and increase oxygen. If this surgery is successful, he will be a candidate for a full heart repair in the future. There are a ton of “what ifs”, unknowns, and much uncertainty. Stafford’s case in very complicated, the doctor said that the surgery is a risk, and that he will not know if there is help for Stafford until he’s in surgery.
Not only are the Van Hattum’s experiencing a lot of emotional, mental and physical stress, but their situation is also a huge financial strain on the family. Meghan and Chris should not have to worry about the financial aspect while trying to care for their little boy. In an effort to alleviate some of the financial strain, we are seeking the following donations:
•Delta sky miles: (they’ve been 120% accommodating with all of Stafford’s medical needs such as oxygen, feeding tube, pulse ox etc.) They are planning to fly out the first week of March & looking to buy tickets soon.
•Hotel points: Hilton or Marriott (They are currently booked for a one month stay through Marriott).
•Car: currently booked through Costco, but not sure if enterprise has points? They will need transportation to/from airport, hotel & hospital. Due to Covid shuttles are not transporting and taxi cabs add up quickly.
•Air b&b: They have been contemplating staying at one to have a kitchen to meal prep & save on dining out. They are looking to stay near the hospital... if anyone has friends in San Francisco or San Jose who might have a rental property next to Stanford University.
•Monetary Donations to the GoFundMe attached. Every dollar can help!
Thank you for taking time to learn more about Stafford. He is such a sweet little boy and he and his family could use your help. We appreciate everyone’s love and support. Most importantly, lease continue to pray for Stafford!
Stafford had his 1st open heart surgery at 36 hours old. His teeny, tiny heart was the size of a quarter or walnut. 25% of critical and complex congenital heart babies don’t make it to their first birthday. Stafford just recently celebrated his 2nd Birthday in January! He has 7 heart defects none of which are corrected, and they don’t know if they ever will be. He has a lot to deal with from a very rare GI anomaly, lung issues, feeding intolerances, developmental delays and so forth. His muscle tone is also low, and he’s been working incredibly hard with PT, OT, Speech, Chiro, etc. Stafford’s low tone will never go away (due to his heart), but it can definitely improve, and his body will learn to compensate.
In April 2020, Chris and Meghan learned that Stafford’s prognosis was not good. They learned he was out of surgical interventions and now looking at palliative care. Then in August, they sought a 2nd opinion and Stafford’s hearth cath and CT scan confirmed April’s prognosis. Stafford’s current condition is stable and that alone deserves much praise! However, due to his heart defects and lungs he can spiral downward at any given moment. They have gone over the risks and benefits of exploratory surgery. Some of you are probably thinking of course do the surgery, but you won’t understand the stress of having to travel thousands of miles away, relocating to temporary housing during Covid without family & friends. Stafford’s surgeon told them to expect a minimum of a month stay.
Despite these hardships, they have decided to move forward with the surgery on his lungs and will be headed to Stanford, in California, the first week of March. Will that give him more longevity? They don’t know. Will it help improve his oxygen? They don’t know. What they do know is that he will undergo an 8–10-hour exploratory surgery on his lungs in hopes to improve blood flow and increase oxygen. If this surgery is successful, he will be a candidate for a full heart repair in the future. There are a ton of “what ifs”, unknowns, and much uncertainty. Stafford’s case in very complicated, the doctor said that the surgery is a risk, and that he will not know if there is help for Stafford until he’s in surgery.
Not only are the Van Hattum’s experiencing a lot of emotional, mental and physical stress, but their situation is also a huge financial strain on the family. Meghan and Chris should not have to worry about the financial aspect while trying to care for their little boy. In an effort to alleviate some of the financial strain, we are seeking the following donations:
•Delta sky miles: (they’ve been 120% accommodating with all of Stafford’s medical needs such as oxygen, feeding tube, pulse ox etc.) They are planning to fly out the first week of March & looking to buy tickets soon.
•Hotel points: Hilton or Marriott (They are currently booked for a one month stay through Marriott).
•Car: currently booked through Costco, but not sure if enterprise has points? They will need transportation to/from airport, hotel & hospital. Due to Covid shuttles are not transporting and taxi cabs add up quickly.
•Air b&b: They have been contemplating staying at one to have a kitchen to meal prep & save on dining out. They are looking to stay near the hospital... if anyone has friends in San Francisco or San Jose who might have a rental property next to Stanford University.
•Monetary Donations to the GoFundMe attached. Every dollar can help!
Thank you for taking time to learn more about Stafford. He is such a sweet little boy and he and his family could use your help. We appreciate everyone’s love and support. Most importantly, lease continue to pray for Stafford!
Organizer and beneficiary
Linsey Battle
Organizer
Sterling Heights, MI
Meghan Vanhattum
Beneficiary