Save Datu’s Heart. Save His Future

Datu is a 2-month-old baby boy born with multiple congenital heart diseases. He has Total Anomalous Venous Return (TAPVR) and Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). In TAPVR, the 4 veins that take blood from the lungs to the heart do not attach normally to the left atrium (left upper chamber of the heart). Instead, they attach to another blood vessel or the wrong part of the heart. In ASD there is a "hole" in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart. Both defects lead to the leakage of oxygen-rich blood into the oxygen-poor blood chambers in the heart. Together, these conditions cause Datu to breathe rapidly and he turns blue when he cries so hard. When he catches colds, he finds it really hard to breathe and this causes him to wake from his sleep and literally gasp for air. Babies with these diseases are immunocompromised, meaning their immunity to diseases is weak. According to the doctor, if this will not be corrected, his heart will begin to swell and the moment he catches certain lung diseases, his body will deteriorate. An open-heart surgery is what his doctor suggests and this must be done as soon as possible. The operation alone costs roughly PHP 500,000.00 ($10,000) in the Philippines. Another PHP 300,000.00 ( $6,000) is needed for the professional fees and post-operative care ,plus an additional PHP 200,000.00 ($4,000) for his treatments during recovery. A total cost of approximately PHP 1,000,000.00 ($20,000) is needed for the entire procedure, a sum which his family cannot afford. His dad, Francis, 24, is a newly-employed engineer, while his mom, Jennifer, 24, is unemployed. They rent a small appartment in Libjo, Batangas, Philippines. The family is now humbly asking for your help in order to save Datu's life.

The proceeds from this campaign will be used for the open-heart surgery, hospitalization, recovery treatment, and other medical expenses of Alexander Gabriel "Datu" Pesasico.