Hello, my name is Kristen Harper and I am fundraising on behalf of my nephew Bigby Suddarth. Bigby is 8 years old and was born with a complex congenital heart defect. He has had had multiple open-heart surgeries with the earliest being at 6-months old.  All of his surgeries were palliative, which helped keep him alive as there were no options to fully heal his heart until now. 

In February, testing showed that Bigby developed a new rare complication known as Protein Losing Enteropathy (PLE). Each day he gets increasingly sick because his body is getting rid of essential things like the protein and vitamins he needs to build strong bones and muscles. His body is filling up with fluid, making it hard for him to move and be involved in the community. Children diagnosed with Protein Losing Enteropathy typically die within a few years, and sadly Bigby has started down that path.

 Bigby has only one option, a new surgery that was not available when he was younger because of his small size, complicated anatomy, and the limited research on this type of surgery. After eight years of gathering data and conducting this surgery, it is now considered a safe option and is the recommended treatment for Bigby. The surgery will repair many of his heart defects and allow his liver and lymphatic system to repair themselves and function normally. 

This surgery cannot be completed locally at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, where he has received his previous care. In fact, only one place in the world has the equipment, staff, and training to complete the surgery - Boston Children’s Hospital. Bigby will need to spend at least a month in Boston, for surgery, monitoring and recovery. The distance, cost, and separation from family are all hurdles Bigby and his family face. Bigby’s heart surgery is scheduled for Mid-August to September. The medical and travel costs will bring a heavy financial burden on the family. All the funds raised will go directly to travel, lodging and medical costs to help get Bigby the surgery he needs to finally heal his heart. Thank you for anything you can contribute.

 A little more about Bigby: Bigby is an 8-year-old who loves the world and all the people in it. Bigby is a kid who knows everyone; he takes the time to learn names and use them. He helps his classmates solve problems and is quick to give a hand to his neighbors. He cheers for all the kids on his baseball team (and the kids on the other baseball team). He loves Star Trek and dresses up as a crewman with his brothers. He is imaginative, bold, and a delight to be around. Bigby has a deep love and joy that is contagious. Bigby looks healthy until he moves around. Even the slightest activity leads to heavy breathing and a need to sit down and rest. His health has declined so rapidly that he has gone from being able to hike and explore in the woods all day to needing a wheelchair to visit museums. He has gone from an active lifestyle to having difficulty climbing the stairs at home. Soon he will have limited mobility and will not have the stamina to make it through the day.

   “Bigby is the joyful piece of our family puzzle, and we are hopeful every day that this surgery will happen, that we will be strengthened by the experience, and that Bigby will have a long life full of wonder and love.” - Rachel 

Air tickets one way X 2 = $260 

Air ticket Round trip X 1 = $285 Food per day $60 X 30 = $1,800 

Hotel per night $150 X 30 =$4,500 

Any additional funds will go towards gas to drive Bigby home and Medical bills.