Hi. I am Alex's mom, Traci, and I want to tell you a little bit about his story. Alex was born with congenital heart, lung and airway defects. His heart is on the right side of his chest, he has Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), tracheal stenosis, hypoplastic lungs and has had most of his left lung removed. Along with being diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3, he also has a very long list of other health struggles, such as a large esophageal diverticulum, COPD, scoliosis, Horner's syndrome, femoral retroversion, and is now in heart failure. In March Alex was entered into palliative care, which is similar to hospice care. We travel back and forth to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota very frequently, as well as hospitals in our hometown. Alex never stops smiling, through one hurdle to the next. He is the most positive, happy, grateful young man you will ever meet. He sees beauty in every aspect of life. Alex is thankful to take a walk on a beautiful day and to watch the birds, bunnies and anything related to nature.

On May 18, 2024 at 10am, Alex will accomplish his #1 wish on his bucket list, and that is to graduate from Elgin Community College. Not only will he graduate, but will do so with high honors and a 4.0 GPA! Alex has also been chosen to be the commencement speaker. A few days after graduation we head back to Mayo Clinic.

Alex has loved theatre and performed on stage since he was 10 years old. He even memorizes and performs full musicals and plays at home for his family 2-3x a year. On Alex's wish list is to visit the Broadway stage and see a musical, visit Washington D.C. as he is an avid lover of history and politics, visit the Grand Canyon, and enjoy anything related to the Seattle SeaHawks! Alex would love to be at a game or meet a player or two. His bedroom is dedicated to this fabulous team!

Thank you to everyone in our lives that have been by our side through this journey with Alex. He does everything with a good heart, and expects nothing in return. For a boy that

wasn't supposed to live a year, Alex has not only lived, but thrived with what God has given him for 27 years. Although his journey on this earth may end sooner than any of us can bear, the start of a new journey home, to the other side, is only the beginning for our Alex. There are bright lights, the souls of family and friends, and a perfect stage just waiting for our angel.

We are raising funds to help Alex with his wishes and alleviate the burden from the immense cost of travel, transportation and medical bills which are not covered by insurance. Thank you for your love and prayers. A heart full of love makes a beautiful life.