I hope to receive some help to pay for expenses for my son’s open heart surgery to fix a heart defect since birth. We learned about Tommy’s heart defect when he was about three years old and had been monitoring his heart health. We were just told that our son, who is now 17 years old, now needs open heart surgery to fix his heart defect. Tommy has always been into sports and outside recreation. He never let his heart condition be an issue to live life….until now. He has recently been told it is time to have open heart surgery to correct his heart defect, which may involve more than the aortic membrane removal. His aortic membrane has attached itself to the heart valve, and now we do not know if he will need a heart valve replacement until they go in to fix the aortic membrane.
Needless to say, as a single mother, I have no way to afford the hotel for ten days while Tommy is at Seattle Children’s Hospital. A family member will drop me off at Seattle Children’s Hospital. I need help to afford a nearby hotel and for medical expenses, which I know his insurance will not cover. I am terrified of Seattle traffic, so my brother is dropping me off. Tommy’s dad and I are divorced, and his dad has remarried. I am alone. Our son needs both of us during this very big major surgery. I am already concerned about his surgery, recovery, and medical bills. As it is, I feel burdened with my normal bills and can only imagine what this will cost for this heart surgery. Tommy is an amazing son. He is a very outgoing, extroverted, kind person, and I know this operation weighs heavily on him. His cardiologist came into the room when he had an appointment when Tommy was nine years old and said he would have to have “open heart surgery.” Well, what does a nine-year-old do? They go home and google it or watch a YouTube video on open heart surgery, which makes Tommy scared and upset. Fast forward to December 2022, when the cardiologist came into the room and said she had “bad news” (by the way, not a way to say something to a child or even an adult). Since we found out about him at three years old, Tommy’s condition has now progressed to needing to be taken care of….sooner rather than later. I need to be there for my son while at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and I have no idea how I will be able to pay for a hotel room nearby. I am praying and seeking help to pay for a hotel, and what I know I will have to pay after his Dad’s insurance pays their portion. My family cannot help me. I am single, and it is finding it difficult to pay my bills with everything going up here in Port Angeles. I pray and am seeking financial help and hope someone can find it within their heart to help me out. I thank anyone from the bottom of my heart who can help me afford a hotel and medical expenses for my son Tommy. I pray for God to bless you for helping me. May God Bless You, Tawny Leonard