A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help the Abbotsford family of a nine-month-old baby who has had five heart surgeries and continues to require medical intervention.
Logan Bishop was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and was later diagnosed with pulmonary vein stenosis, a rare life-threatening disease that could result in the loss of his lungs.
Parents Rhiannon Weiss and James Bishop have had to spend most of their time either at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver or Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
“At the time of writing this, we have spent a total of 184 days in hospital away from friends and family and just 94 days at home,” Rhiannon posted March 31, the day the GoFundMe campaign began.
“We have not slept in our own beds in months. It has been an emotional and physical roller-coaster but we have been together as a family every step of the way and we want to continue to do so.”
The couple found out about Logan’s heart condition when Rhiannon was 22 weeks’ pregnant. They were told the only treatment options were a heart transplant or a series of open-heart surgeries.
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Logan had his first surgery in Edmonton when he was two weeks old, and the family was able to return home for almost three months.
His second surgery took place – again in Edmonton – last November, after which he had to be placed on a life-support machine and suffered a major stroke that paralyzed his right side.
Logan had two more open-heart surgeries that week, and a stent was placed in his pulmonary artery. He began to do better.
“Miraculously, with physiotherapy, Logan has made amazing progress and is regaining the use of the right side of his body and his heart was getting stronger,” Rhiannon wrote.
But low blood-oxygen levels persisted, and the devastating diagnosis of pulmonary vein stenosis followed. Logan had his fifth heart surgery in February to allow more blood to flow through the pulmonary veins.
Logan was transferred to BC Children’s in March, where he remained in the intensive care unit. Because he wasn’t improving, his doctors decided to send him back to Edmonton for further procedures.
“He has gone through more in nine months than most people will in their entire lives,” Rhiannon wrote.
Her maternity leave runs out in May, and James has not worked in almost a year, but they want to continue to be there full-time for Logan. Money raised from the GoFundMe campaign will go toward their bills, mortgage payments, gas, groceries, accommodation and travel.
“We did not want it to come to this, but we desperately need help so we can keep fighting for our baby’s life as a family,” Rhiannon said.
The campaign can be found by searching “Fighting for Logan’s Life” at gofundme.com. Almost $23,000 had been raised as of Tuesday morning (April 5).
vhopes@abbynews.com
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