We need your help. When Zachary is born, he won’t be cradled on his mother’s chest. Instead, surgeons will cut through his
tiny chest right after birth, and he will undergo open heart surgery. The first few hours of his life will be a battle he can’t win on his own. You see, Little Zach has a congenital heart defect. The defect – Pulmonary Valve Atresia – was confirmed last November 8 on a Congenital Anomaly scan when his mother Jean was 32 weeks pregnant.
Pulmonary Valve Atresia is a rare form of Congenital Heart Disease that affects one out of 10,000 newborns. This happens when the pulmonary valve doesn’t form properly. Without this valve functioning properly, blood can’t flow from the heart to the pulmonary artery, where it then goes on to the lungs to become oxygenated and supplied to the body.
Oxygen is life. Right now, cozy inside, Zach gets all the oxygenated blood he needs from Mommy Jean. However, the moment he leaves his mother’s womb, the battle begins. His heart won’t be able to pump enough blood to sustain
his body. He needs surgery to live. In addition, the doctors must try to keep the duct open by injecting a drug called Prostaglandin to improve blood flow. One surgery and initial medication won’t fix the problem, but they will allow Zach to live longer until his body can grow up and handle major surgeries to repair or replace the valve.
It’s going to be a long and difficult journey. At a time when we’re all planning for Christmas, Mommy Jean and Daddy KR are planning how to give their first-born a fighting a chance to live. This fighting chance costs millions, a price that typical young parents like Jean and KR can’t afford on their own. They are a newly-wed young couple who are just starting to build a family.
As we excitedly open presents this Christmas Eve, Little Zach will have tubes, wires and bandages. He will spend weeks and months in intensive care. Jean and KR will have to make tough choices. And they choose to fight for life. Fight for Zach. Because as heart-breaking as congenital heart diseases are, we can’t give up…
Will you let a little heart break? We are knocking on your hearts for your prayers and your generosity. Any amount will go a long way to help Jean and KR stay stronger and keep their family together. He may have a different heart, but he’ll be loved just the same. So please, open your heart to Little Zach.
If you wish to donate, here are links to baby Zach’s gofundme and gogetfunding pages:
Gofundme (Dollar donations): https://bit.ly/2FD6HGy
Gogetfunding (Peso donations):Â https://bit.ly/2OPxgat
