Our nephew, Luca, and his twin brother, Micah, will be turning one this March. While this milestone should be filled with nothing but celebration, Luca’s first year of life has been marked by significant medical challenges — and another major procedure lies just ahead.

Luca was born with Esophageal Atresia (EA), meaning his esophagus did not connect to his stomach, and a Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF), an abnormal connection between his airway and esophagus. After multiple surgeries and a 52-day stay in the NICU, Luca was finally discharged in late April 2025. Although he was able to take bottles by mouth, feeding remained difficult.

Just three weeks after coming home, Luca was admitted to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City due to ongoing feeding and respiratory issues. In late May 2025, he was diagnosed with severe tracheobronchomalacia, a condition where the airway is too weak and collapses. To help stabilize his breathing, Luca underwent a tracheostomy in early June and now relies on a ventilator for pressure support. In mid-July, a G-tube was placed due to continued feeding challenges.

After four long months in the PICU, Luca was finally discharged home in late September 2025.

Over the past year, Luca and his family have navigated countless hospital stays, medical changes, and adjustments to everyday life — all while caring for Luca’s twin brother, Micah.

In March 2026, Luca is scheduled to undergo a Posterior Tracheopexy at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. This highly specialized surgery is designed to prevent Luca’s airway from collapsing and could allow him, in time, to wean off the ventilator and potentially have his tracheostomy removed. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital specializes in this procedure and in treating children with EA/TEF.

Although the family lives in Kansas, this surgery must take place in Florida, requiring the entire family to temporarily relocate. For Luca’s safety, two nurses must accompany them to provide round-the-clock care during their stay. While insurance covers most medical costs, the non-medical expenses create a significant financial burden.

The family will need:

• Housing for themselves

• Separate accommodations for the two nurses

• Transportation, fuel, and groceries

They expect to be in Florida for approximately one month, arriving a week before surgery and staying long enough afterward to ensure Luca’s recovery is stable and safe.

We are raising funds to help ease this financial strain so Luca’s parents can focus fully on what matters most — his care, healing, and well-being. Any donation, share, or kind word means more than we can express.

We know this will not be the end of Luca’s medical journey. If we are fortunate enough to receive more in donations than we are asking, it would be an incredible blessing to know that some of Luca’s ongoing medical and care-related expenses can be covered as well.

Thank you for supporting Luca, Micah, and their family as they take this hopeful step forward.