Can You Help This Littlest Angel?

From Angel Joanna:

I’d like to take this time to introduce you all to someone you should know. This beautiful baby is Tavian Chappell.


He is my cousin. He was born on 12/06/06 at Dekalb Regional Medical Center here in Fort Payne, Alabama. He was a month premature but still weighed 5 lbs. and 4 oz. Early in the morning of 12/07/06, he developed problems breathing and was sent to the NICU at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, AL. While at Huntsville Hospital, they discovered that his lungs were fine but the problems he was having were actually his heart. On 12/08/06, the mobile hospital from Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, TN came to Huntsville and picked him up. That is where he has been since.

As it stands, the pediatric cardiac team has evaluated him and the family has been told that surgery is not an option to correct the problem. Now we are simply waiting for a heart transplant. The doctors were supposed to have all the testing done today so that he can be on the list Thursday morning. On a good note (or a bad one depending on how you see it) they say that he will go to the top of the list because there is no other infant ahead of him. So as soon as a donor heart becomes available, that matches, he will get it.

So I’m asking a couple of things from those of you reading this blog. First and foremost, prayers! We need some heavy duty praying right now. The fact that he was so big when he was born is a good thing, they say he can take a heart up to twice his size. Now, it’s hard for us to pray for him a heart because that means that another baby has to die, but we have to believe that God knows what is right in this case. Second, I’m asking you to copy and pass this along to everyone you know who has a blog. We need as much exposure as possible and all the help we can get. Third, and this is the big one! We need money! Yes I am asking for donations this close to the holidays. Tavian’s parents, Kristie and Chico, are taking turns spending time with him at Vanderbilt. Kristie is off work obviously and Chico is working and going up on the weekends now. They also have an 8-year-old daughter at home. Money is very tight since they are now down to one income. We have placed donation jars out all over the county here and a couple of very generous folks have donated enough to pay their rent and utilities for the month of December. Once the baby gets his heart, he will have to remain in Vanderbilt for 5-6 months to rebuild his immune system before he is allowed to return home and then he will have to return to the hospital for frequent check ups. Any donations made will go to help them out while the baby gets through his transplant and recovery time. If you would like to make a donation you can send them to the address below or if you’d like to send well wishes, you can send them to other address below. I realize that like me, many of you are in a tight this holiday and that is understandable. But if you can’t do anything more than read this, say a prayer, and pass it along, that would help tremendously.

Thanks for your time!
Joanna

Donations can be made in the name of Tavian Chappell to:
North Jackson Bank
24807 John T. Reid Parkway
Scottsboro, AL 35768

Well wishes can be sent to:
Tavian Chappell
C/O Kristie and Chico Chappell
2101 Briarwood Ave SW Apt 201
Ft. Payne, AL 35967

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