Support Calvin Hughes and his heart transplant

Meet Calvin. He is the recipient of a new heart. As you can imagine, this type of procedure places a significant financial burden on his family. We are fundraising for the Hughes Family while they navigate their son's heart transplant journey.

When Calvin didn’t get better from antibiotics for what they thought was strep throat in December, the Hughes family’s world changed forever in just two short weeks. Calvin was thrust into the cardiac ICU at Phoenix Children’s Hospital with heart failure on 1/24. His heart was 2x’s the normal size with a 1 inch blood clot. They found his heart was only operating at 20% capacity.

His family thought his fatigue was due to an increase in his practice schedule, but when he didn't get better, they took him in for another look. Suddenly it all made sense, he wasn’t just being a tired teenager. His heart was barely keeping his body going. In just days, he was admitted, evaluated by dozens of doctors, and placed on the transplant list.

He received his miracle gift, a heart transplant on 2/6. Surgery was successful, but Calvin has a long road of recovery ahead of him and his way of life will be forever changed. He’s only 13 and the lifetime of medication, medical care, and rehabilitation he’ll need into adulthood and forever will be his new normal. He’s a warrior, stubborn in his ways, and determined to be an athlete. His ultimate goal is to return to his club and middle school basketball team. He has more strength than any 13 year old should ever need and we want to support that endeavor.

Please help Calvin, Kevin, Barb & Carter in any way you can. Kevin is the sole income earner and is currently on unpaid leave through Calvin's recovery and for Calvin’s future battles against rejection. Barb has her own health concerns that prevent her from working. Your donation will help ease the burden on the family's finances as well as pay for out of pocket expenses due to this major life disruption. Both Kevin and Barb will be able to stay by Calvin's bedside at the hospital with your support as Calvin will remain in Cardiac ICU for at least the next several weeks or months depending on his rehabilitation. ❤️‍❤️

Continue to check back for weekly updates! Also, if you'd prefer to donate directly to the family via Zelle, please contact me directly.