A Gift From The Heart

On August 7, 2014 Susie and Paul opened their arms and hearts to their beautiful baby boy Zachary. As new parents often do, they pondered what lay ahead for the future of their child. Unlike most parents however, they had long accepted that their little boy’s journey would be exceptionally different.

While pregnant for Zachary, his parents were told that he may not survive long after birth. It was found that Zachary would have Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). HLHS is an extremely serious heart defect, which affects only 1 in 4,344 babies in the U.S each year. Baby Zachary was born with the left side of his heart critically underdeveloped.

In order to have any chance for survival, babies who are born with HLHS need to have multiple surgeries in a particular order to completely reconstruct their heart. For some, heart transplantation is the only solution. Zachary had his first open-heart reconstructive surgery when he was only five days old. Thanks to answered prayer and the medical team at Boston Children’s Hospital, Zachary responded well and was able to go home four weeks post-surgery.

With his next heart surgery soon approaching, Zachary will need to have at least two more complex heart surgeries before he reaches his second birthday. It’s expected that as he ages, Zachary could experience serious complications. He will need lifelong surveillance by cardiac experts as well as accurate management of complex medications.

Most of us will never know the emotional, financial and life altering sacrifice necessary to care for a very sick child. With great faith, Susie and Paul choose to trust in God to provide the strength and support they need. They whole-heartedly believe that “the struggle is part of the story” and that God has an incredible purpose for Zachary’s life. The meaning of Zachary’s name; Remembered by God, is what they remember when they ponder what lay ahead for their baby boy.

To relieve the Cordeiro family's financial stress and to provide support for Zachary's recovery, we are looking to raise money.  Your prayers and any donations are greatly appreciated.