Karen B

Hi, my name is Karen and I’m fundraising for my beautiful grandson Landon and his parents - My daughter Ellie and son in law Zac as they prepare to face Landon’s second major open heart surgery at just 6 months old. For those who don’t know their story, I want to share a little of what this family has already endured. At 35 weeks gestation Zac and Ellie received news no parent should ever have to hear there was something seriously wrong with their baby’s heart. Further testing confirmed their baby boy had life threatening congenital heart conditions and would need open heart surgery in order to survive. Landon was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), a severe condition where the two main arteries of the heart are switched, preventing oxygen-rich blood from circulating properly, as well as a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a hole in the wall between the heart’s lower chambers. After an incredibly traumatic emergency Category 1 caesarean, placental abruption and other complications, Landon was born and taken straight to the NICU. At just three days old he underwent his first procedure — a Balloon Atrial Septostomy. Then at only two weeks of age Landon was transferred to PICU for major open heart surgery to perform an arterial switch and repair his VSD. After a seven hour surgery, he came out of theatre but that was only the beginning of the fight. That night Zac and Ellie received a devastating phone call at 1am telling them Landon was in critical condition and they needed to come immediately. They were told his heart had stopped and that he had received five minutes of aggressive CPR. Landon’s recovery was filled with setbacks and complications. His chest was left open and closed roughly a week later, only to be reopened again due to infection. Along the way he suffered a collapsed lung, blood clots, and a staph infection just to name a few of the challenges this tiny fighter faced. After weeks in PICU he was stepped down to a close observation ward and eventually after more than six weeks in hospital the family finally heard the words they had been waiting for, Landon could go home. However, just one day before discharge doctors discovered a heart murmur and narrowing of his aortic arch that required close monitoring. After countless hospital appointments since then Zac and Ellie have recently received heartbreaking news the narrowing has continued to worsen and Landon will now need another major open heart surgery to repair this narrowing within the next 2 weeks *therefore meaning this will be Landon’s 2nd major open heart surgery in just 6months* If left untreated this condition could lead to heart failure or a brain aneurysm meaning he would not survive. While this is an unimaginably difficult time emotionally and physically the financial strain has added another heavy burden. Ellie is still on maternity leave receiving only half pay once a month and with the Christmas period just passed, Zac has now used all of his annual leave. At this stage there is also a great deal of uncertainty around how much time Zac will need to take off work. During Landon’s first surgery the family were told to expect a minimum hospital stay of two weeks however complications meant that stay turned into more than 6 weeks. With the upcoming surgery there is no clear timeframe making it impossible to plan financially or emotionally. This fundraiser has been created to help ease that pressure so Zac can be by Ells and his son’s side for as long as needed without the constant fear of how bills, rent, and everyday living expenses will be covered. Any support will help this family focus on what truly matters - Being present for Landon during this critical time. They are incredibly grateful that Landon’s medical expenses are covered and that they are eligible to stay at Ronald McDonald House near the hospital. There is absolutely no expectation - Your love, prayers, and kind thoughts already mean so much. But for those who wish to help in this way, this page provides an opportunity to support this beautiful family during one of the hardest chapters of their lives. We know not everyone is in a position to donate and that’s okay. Even sharing this page means more than words can say.