Fundraiser · Open heart surgery · October

Fighting for Damian

Two years old. Three heart conditions. One October surgery — and a little boy who never stops.

Damian, two years old, sitting behind the wheel of his toy 4x4 in the grass with a small American flag on the back.
$0 of $3,500 goal
$0 $875
a week of lodging $1,750
halfway $2,625
travel covered $3,500
goal

Meet Damian

He was born with a heart that needed rebuilding.

Damian is two years old. His first diagnosis was pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum, and his first surgery corrected it beautifully. It hasn't given him a single problem since.

Damian sitting on a clinic exam bench in a red t-shirt that reads "Hey there, friend. You've got this."
Another appointment. Same grin.

But two other conditions came with it. Those are the ones we're still fighting — and they're attacking from opposite sides.

Left side

Pulmonary vein stenosis

PVS · heart and lungs

At his last cath, we learned Damian has lost one pulmonary vein on his left side, and it can't be saved. The other two are being held open with stents.

Right side

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

HCM · right ventricle

The muscle of his right ventricle has thickened severely. His heart struggles to pump, and struggles to relax in between beats.

The hardest part is the balance. Every procedure that helps one side has to be weighed against what it does to the other. His team is working to buy him time and options until he can be listed for transplant.

Through all of it, Damian is active. He is resilient. He does not stop. That's why his doctors keep fighting for him — and why we do too.

What's happening in October

A new surgical approach.

In October, Damian and his mom travel out for open heart surgery. His team is trying a different approach this time — one that hasn't been attempted yet.

They'll be away from home for the surgery and the recovery that follows.

What we're raising

$3,500 gets them there and keeps them there.

That covers housing and travel for Damian and his mom through the surgery and recovery.

Anything raised beyond the goal goes toward Damian's medical expenses and any additional medication he needs.

How to give

Send directly through Cash App.

Cash App $arelivp97

Every dollar goes directly to Damian's family. There's no organization in the middle and no fees taken out.

Come out and support him

Community drawing

When
September 30th · 5:00–7:00 PM
Drawing at 6:00 PM
Where
Dellinger Park, Cartersville, GA
[[PAVILION OR MEETING SPOT — e.g. "Pavilion 3, near the playground"]]
Watch live
Streamed on Facebook Live at 6:00 PM
Areli's Facebook page

Come meet the family, stay a while, and enter the drawing. If you can't make it in person, the 6:00 drawing will be streamed and recorded.

If you can't give, share this page.
If you can't share it, pray for him.
All of it matters.

Know someone who could help — lodging near the hospital, travel, or something to put up for the drawing?
Call or text Areli · (770) 773-0211