Thank you all for your support. Everyone has been so gracious that we met the original goal so quickly. I had increased the goal in hopes of getting the Hein's as much support as possible. We are so close to meeting the second goal and instead of raising it again, I will just encourage additional donations. This will allow the Hein family the freedom to focus on family during this difficult time. Hello! My name is Lorie Lochridge and I am writing on behalf of my dearest friend Moriah and her beautiful family. As many of you know, their 4-year-old son Atlas was born with a congenital heart defect called Aortic Valvular Stenosis with a bicuspid valve. This means his aortic valve is supposed to have 3 leaflets but only has two, and those two leaflets are thick and rigid and do not function like they should, creating a smaller area for the blood to flow through the aortic valve. The extra pressure created by this force puts strain on his heart muscle causing it to thicken which impacts the function of the heart. They have been treating him with catheter procedures (he has had 4 of these in Seattle since birth) that have helped to buy time before he inevitably will need open heart surgery. Unfortunately, the catheter procedures are no longer helpful and the time has arrived for more to be done. He is scheduled to have open heart surgery in Seattle on Tuesday, August 1st. He requires a procedure called a Ross Procedure. This is an open heart surgery where they will switch the position of his pulmonary valve and put it in place of his faulty aortic valve. They then use a cadaver valve to replace his pulmonary valve. The hope is that this will last until he is a teenager when he will need to have the pulmonary valve replaced again (but one surgery at a time:). Here is a link to more information about how they do the surgery if you are interested...Ross Procedure. They are required to remain in Seattle for 2 weeks post-surgery and there will be six weeks of sternal precaution so his sternum can fuse back together properly which means he is unable to return to preschool and will be at home where his parents will have to balance caring for Atlas, who will be expected to remain relatively still, three other children, work and daily life responsibilities. If you are wondering what sternal precautions are, here is a link...Sternal Precautions that gives a list of what he is unable to do for 6 weeks. When considering these requirements for proper healing keep in mind he is 4. Talk about challenging! Moriah has been working tirelessly to organize all the many logistics that are necessary to make this trip and surgery happen all while working a full-time plus job. She has applied for any financial programs that offer assistance for these kinds of situations but despite her efforts, she will still have ample out-of-pocket expenses following this ordeal. As you can imagine the planning and anticipation of having this sweet little boy endure this surgery and recovery has been tough. In addition to the obvious emotional stress that something like this has on a family, Moriah is just a year pass being out of work for 3 months due to an unexpected layoff. She is planning to work a 40-hour week while Atlas is in the hospital. As a consultant, her paycheck is a direct result of how much she works. I believe that it is important for Moriah to be able to put work aside during this delicate time and focus on Atlas, her family and herself. I am writing to ask for your help with supporting this family financially so that they can feel free to put work aside during the next several weeks to be able to focus on and care for one another. There are copious expenses including travel, lodging, food, medical expenses, child care etc. No amount is too small and every contribution will be so appreciated. Thank you for reading and considering! Whether or not you can contribute financially please send your good thoughts in the direction of the Hein family. If you are interested in following along with Atlas’s journey, here is the link...Caring Bridge to his caring bridge site that will give updates on his status and progression.
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