Help Support Baby Charlie and the Barton Family

Charles James Barton was born on June 22, 2025. Shortly after his birth, nurses grew concerned about his breathing and how cold he seemed. Later that evening, Charlie was diagnosed with a soft cleft palate, something that will require surgical repair within the first year of his life.

His parents, Kevin and Olivia, immediately stepped up to learn how to properly hold and feed Charlie. But things quickly became more complicated. An echocardiogram revealed a narrowing of Charlie’s aorta, a serious heart condition. He was immediately started on medication to keep the artery open and flown to Seattle Children’s Hospital for urgent care.

Charlie arrived in Seattle ahead of his parents and was met with a whirlwind of scans and tests. Over the next few days, he underwent multiple ultrasounds, echocardiograms, and other procedures. When doctors paused his medication to get clearer imaging, the artery rapidly closed, and Charlie had to be given high doses of medication to reopen it. These medications are life-saving, but they come with side effects, including extreme fussiness and agitation. Because of the many wires, monitors, and IVs, Charlie can’t be held often, and snuggles are limited.

With additional testing, the doctors also discovered a few other heart abnormalities, but they do not require intervention at this point, just continued monitoring over his life.

As if that wasn’t enough, an infection was found in earlier test results, forcing the medical team to cancel Charlie’s initially scheduled heart surgery. He remains in the hospital on antibiotics and is being carefully monitored. Until the infection clears, surgery cannot be safely performed. At this point, it's unclear how long the delay will be, but it could be weeks.

Once the infection is gone, Charlie will need heart surgery to correct his heart defects. This will mark just the beginning of what will be a long road to recovery, one filled with follow-ups, developmental care, and eventually, cleft palate surgery.

Kevin and Olivia are currently staying in Seattle with Charlie while their daughter, Alaina, is being lovingly cared for by family in Yakima. The financial strain of being away from home, missing work, and managing housing, food, and travel is enormous.

We are asking for your help to support the Barton family during this incredibly difficult time. Your donation will help cover their ongoing expenses so they can stay close to Charlie and focus solely on his healing.

Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference.

Please share their story, keep them in your prayers, and help us wrap this beautiful family in love and support. Any donations beyond what Kevin and Olivia ultimately need will be donated to Seattle Children's Hospital or the Ronald McDonald House.