ALOHA! 4-Year-Old Boy Needs Open-Heart Surgery

PLEASE HELP 4-year-old Aaron Dave in the Philippines get the open-heart surgery he needs! He recently celebrated his 4th birthday on 11/7/22 and his parents were informed just a few days later that he needs surgery as soon as possible. He has ventricular septal defect (VSD) which is a hole in the heart. The hole occurs in the wall that separates the heart's lower chambers (ventricles).

A VSD changes how blood flows through the heart and lungs. Oxygen-rich blood gets pumped back to the lungs instead of out to the body. The oxygen-rich blood mixes with oxygen-poor blood. These changes may increase blood pressure in the lungs and require the heart to work harder to pump blood. Hence, if the hole is large, too much blood will be pumped to the lungs and may result life-threatening complications such as heart failure. For Aaron’s case, unfortunately, the hole is getting much larger and larger and that’s why he needs to have surgery. After the surgery, checkups are needed regularly for the rest of his life.

The news was more than a heartbreak for their family. Aaron’s parents are currently experiencing hardship as they are unemployed / do not have regular jobs, and this is normal for those that lives in the province areas (farms/countryside) of the Philippines due to the lack of job opportunities. There is no medical insurance for their son. They certainly are unable to afford the high cost of the surgery. Really tough times for them. As a parent myself, I can’t even imagine what they are going through right now.

Aaron and his family are my relatives and they reached out for help. This is my very first time creating a GoFundMe fundraising page and I know it helps people in dire need. I too have donated many times in the past for fundraising efforts via GoFundMe including for those individuals/groups that I don’t even know at all but they have touched my heart because of their immediate needs or emergency. I’m hoping and praying for the same for Aaron that as a community coming together we can raise the funds he need. Aaron will receive all proceeds/funds raised (less transaction fees associated with GoFundMe).

The holiday season is now here and it’s during these times that as a community we should also think about those who are in need - giving back is the true spirit of the holidays. We thank you very much and truly appreciate your generosity (no amount is too small – anything and everything helps).

In addition, as a request to help us reach the goal, it would be great if you could please share the fundraiser to help spread the word. God bless!