Baby Born With Multiple Heart Defects Fights For Life

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A baby boy who just turned a year old has spent months in the hospital as he battles a fight for life after being born with multiple heart defects.

A GoFundMe page, "Saving CJ," was created by Erica Daunt in East Hampton. On Dec. 7, she said, Anthony Daunt ran a 24-hour Spartan course, or obstacle course race, in Reykjavík, Iceland.

"His grandmother's great nephew has been in and out of the hospital since the day he was born, needing multiple surgeries to save his life," she said. "CJ didn't leave the hospital until two months old and has been there since August. Please consider donating for every mile Anthony runs in 24 hours — for reference, the average person will run between 35 to 45 miles during the course of 24 hours— in hopes to help support CJ and his family, in time for his first birthday and around the holidays."

She also shared CJ's story: "Baby Christian, or CJ, was born with multiple heart defects a year ago on Dec. 5. That first week of life, he needed to have surgery to correct the veins and arteries between his heart and lungs. More heart surgeries were needed, but it was decided only what had to be done was to be repaired due to the invasive nature of so much work to the heart at the newborn state. That first surgery and recovery took a couple months in the hospital."

He was finally able to home for six-plus months, she said. "CJ grew and was gaining the weight and strength he needed to go through the next couple of surgeries," Daunt wrote.

In August, CJ returned to the hospital for the final heart repairs; the surgeries were long and extremely complex, and his recovery was very difficult, the page said.

"So much work was done on the heart that he needed a heart/lung bypass machine to recover for the first week. In September, it was determined another surgery was necessary, focusing on heart valves. Again, his recovery was long and difficult," the page said.

Another month later, in October, it was determined that his heart and lungs needed more time to recover with the help of a breathing machine, or ventilator, not only for months, but years, the page explained.

"To have the ventilator connected to CJ long term, he needed to breathe, but the breathing tube was placed down his throat, keeping him from getting up, eating, or doing activities a 1-year old does to develop and grow. So, in October, a more permanent airway was placed by a tracheotomy and placing the tube to directly into his neck. The hole in his neck is healing," the page said.

CJ will be in the hospital through the new year and, once home, will need nursing care at home as long as he is breathing through the tracheostomy tube in his neck, the page explained.

"It has been a long year. But CJ has endured and stayed strong and keeps fighting," the page said.

To donate, click here.

Photo courtesy GoFundMe.