Hi everyone! My brother and sister-in-law, Joel and Tara welcomed their third child, Alexander, on April 6, 2026. Their older children, Adrian (8) and Adalyn (4), have completely embraced their new baby brother, and watching them love on him has been such a joy.

Shortly after Alex was born, they learned that he has a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). If you're unfamiliar with TOF, it's a condition made up of four heart abnormalities that require open-heart surgery to repair. During the procedure, surgeons will close the hole between the ventricles and widen the pulmonary artery to improve blood flow to his lungs. Alex will undergo surgery in Dallas and is expected to spend 5–7 days in the NICU afterward. During that time, Tara will stay at the hospital with Alex, while Joel remains at home caring for Adrian and Adalyn. Recovery will be about 8 weeks. They have been reassured by his doctors that TOF is one of the most common congenital heart defects and that this surgery is well-established with excellent outcomes. Even with that reassurance, they are naturally feeling nervous, anxious, and at times scared as they prepare for this next chapter.

The hospital is about 42 miles from their home, so traveling back and forth each day while balancing the needs of their family will be challenging. Tara will be out of work for a minimum of 4 months. They are asking for both financial support and just as importantly your prayers as they walk through this season.

Joel and Tara will meet with Alex's surgical team in the coming weeks and hope to have a surgery date scheduled within the next six weeks. After surgery, his recovery will include feeding tubes, lots of rest at home, and a calm, healing environment.

They are incredibly grateful for every prayer, kind word, and act of generosity. Your support means more to their family than they can express, and they thank you for walking alongside them during this journey.