Hi everyone! My name is Kaleigh Loiodici. On July 9th, my dad is scheduled to undergo aortic valve replacement surgery, during which he’ll also have a pacemaker with a defibrillator implanted. He’s expected to spend about 7 days in the hospital recovering, followed by another 4-6 months at home. Because of the defibrillator, he will lose his CDL license, which means he won’t be able to return to the job he’s relied on for years. He’s lived with this heart condition his whole life, and now he’s facing one of his biggest challenges yet. Any support during this time would mean the world to him and our family.

As many of you may know, my dad got custody of me when I was just six years old. Even though he’s not my biological father, he chose to step up and raise me as his own and he’s never once made me feel any different. From day one, he’s shown me what unconditional love and true fatherhood look like. He’s taught me so much about life, about strength, and about what it means to never give up. My dad is one of the most hardworking and determined people I’ve ever known. Despite not sharing the same last name, I’ve always been treated with the same love, care, and respect as any of his own children. He fought for years in custody battles, raised a house full of wild kids, and still managed to be the perfect example of what a father should be. I’m endlessly grateful for everything he’s done, and I would love to take some of the ease off of his medical bills.