Help Atlas & his family on his heart transplant journey

https://gofund.me/ea9f0c90

Dear Family & Friends,

We are reaching out for your help. As most of you know, Atlas is our precious little warrior who urgently needs a heart transplant so that he can live! He is in UVA Children's Hospital, on the national organ donor waitlist, waiting for a donor heart to become available. He has been Status 1A, the highest priority on the waitlist, since April 11. He's been hospitalized this year since February, & for 3 months after his birth last year--basically the majority of his life so far! We are hoping to raise funds on behalf of Atlas & his family, his mother (my daughter, Bekah), his father John, & my granddaughter, Atlas's 3 year old sister Skarlet. It has been a difficult year full of many challenges since Atlas was born, including many surgical heart procedures and 3 open heart surgeries. He is now 1 year old. This is going to take a lot of time and resources as they navigate this journey which has upended their world!

Many of you know Atlas's story so far but don't know all of the details. Atlas was born prematurely on July 21, 2023. Three days after birth he was emergency transported with heart failure to UVA Children's Hospital in Charlottesville, VA, with a critical life-threatening congenital heart defect, and we were told he would die unless he had a surgical procedure. He then had that surgery on day 5, and then the very next day he needed open heart when he was 6 days old! (He had also developed an aneurysm in his heart). He spent the next 2 months in the hospital, and doctors said he would need lifelong surgical procedures to manage his heart defect. Unfortunately, after several surgical procedures, his heart function worsened and heart failure advanced. He was emergency transported again in October for another surgery at CHKD & then another month at UVA Children's. After heart catheterization in January, it was decided he would need 2 heart valve replacements as soon as possible, rather than waiting for a cardiac event to happen and threaten his life.

He went back to UVA Children's Hospital (almost 3 hours away) in February this year for a 2nd major open heart surgery called Ross-Konno Procedure to replace two valves and hopefully avoid the need for heart transplant, but his condition worsened again and he was placed on the national heart transplant list on March 20, Status 1A, the highest priority. He had another (3rd) open heart surgery on March 22 for a VAD (ventricular assist device, or Berlin Heart), which was to be a bridge to his heart transplant. It would pump his blood and do the work of his heart while he waited for his new heart. We had a little miracle during this surgery! (And many others along the way!) During this surgery, the amazing surgeons thought Atlas's heart was strong enough that he didn't need the VAD to pump his blood, so they instead replaced his mitral valve with a mechanical valve, thus giving him 3 replaced heart valves. They were cautiously optimistic, and decided to place him on inactive status on the transplant waitlist, which paused his time on the waitlist for 3 weeks! We had great hope that Atlas would be able to go home after this, but once again his heart failure progressed & on April 11 he was placed back on Status 1A, Active Status on the National Donor Waitlist, the highest priority. Atlas must remain hospitalized while waiting for his new heart. He is on IV heart medications to manage his heart failure while he waits for his new heart, in the intermediate ICU now.

Through all of this, Atlas has been a happy little warrior & champion, whose bright smile and joyful spirit continue to amaze the medical team (& us!) every day! He is a delight to everyone in the hospital! Atlas has endured & overcome many other challenges, infections, 3 blood clots, & much more, in addition to all of the surgeries; yet by the grace of God, he bounces back each time with a big smile and a joyful spirit!! Praise the Lord.

We give glory and thanks first of all to God, and to all the amazing family & friends who have rallied around us this past year with love & prayers. This is our first fundraiser.

We hope to also raise enough to establish a special needs trust for Atlas. Your prayers have been so appreciated and we thank God for the miracle of Atlas's life! We also thank God for the miracle of you, our family & friends, who reach out with love and care.

No donation is too small! We realize there are so many others in need right now. If you can't help right now, or already have, PLEASE share the GoFundMe link with others, it will be a great way to help & that will be a huge blessing!

Your prayers and kind words of support have helped and encouraged greatly! We are extremely grateful-- especially as we continue on this heart journey with baby Atlas.

With a heart of thanks & praise to God, and with much love, & thanks for caring.

A.Marie McDermott, Atlas's Mimi RiRi

(on behalf of Team Atlas here at UVA Children's Hospital: Bekah, John, Skarlet & Atlas & me)