SIX-MONTH-OLD BABY GETS A NEW HEART AND A FRESH START

Baby Andrew Receives a Heart Transplant and Medical Care Thanks to
Angels on the Bay and St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children

February 23, 2011 – For the Dominguez family, bringing their third child into the world was met with unbearable hardship and unexpected obstacles. However, with the help of local non-profit, Angels on the Bay and one of New York’s leading pediatric post-acute care organizations, St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, their baby is recovering and their family is full of hope.

After losing their first born in their native Columbia to a battle with Kawasaki Disease, the family came to the United States in hopes of a better life. Their luck seemed to change when the couple gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Matthew, who is now a toddler. Then on July 20, 2010, the growing family welcomed Andrew, another beautiful baby boy, to the world.

Just three months later, baby Andrew became gravely ill with a high fever. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors diagnosed the baby with dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged and weakened heart. The prognosis was grim – Andrew would need a new heart in order to survive.

Jose Dominguez, Andrew’s father, is employed by LT Associates, Inc. and is a colleague of Carl Amato, one of the board members of Angels on the Bay. “Jose was speaking to everyone he knew, seeking help for his son,” said Amato, who heard the story of Baby Andrew and immediately knew that Angels on the Bay could help. Angels on the Bay, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping chronically ill, developmentally disabled and physically challenged children, just like Baby Andrew, immediately went into action, working with St Mary’s Healthcare System for Children to create a miracle. On Christmas morning, Baby Andrew received a heart transplant at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Three weeks after his life-changing surgery, Baby Andrew was discharged from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital to recover at home with his family.

St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children helped transition the Dominguez family home and manage
Baby Andrew’s complex medical needs. Post-transplant care may include skilled nursing visits, education and training for the parents on how to care for their child’s medical condition, medication compliance in administering upwards of 15 medications a day, and home health aide services. “It takes a community to make sure that a child with special needs gets every opportunity to lead a healthy life,” said Jack Notaro, head of the St. Mary’s committee of Angels on the Bay. St Mary’s Healthcare System for Children absorbed Baby Andrew’s home care costs.

Baby Andrew will celebrate his first birthday this July, at home with his new heart and his family, thanks to Angels on the Bay and St Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.

About Angels on the Bay
Angels on the Bay, Inc. is a non for-profit children’s charity founded by Frank Russo, Jr., whose personal encounters with pediatric illness spurred him into action and sponsored by caring individuals who, from personal experiences, have been affected by the heartbreak of children’s suffering. Their mission is to raise funds and awareness to help provide life-enhancing services for the chronically ill, developmentally disabled and physically challenged children. Their contributions are strictly designated for children, pediatric services, medical equipment, education and the research of life threatening diseases.

Since its inception in 1995, Angels on the Bay has successfully raised over $3 million for the renovation and refurbishment of three major pediatric units for the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens. The charity has supported pediatric medical facilities including: HeartShare Human Services of New York, the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Pediatric Unit, Franklin General Hospital Center, Staten Island University Hospital, Angels OnThe Bay Pediatric Unit and Pediatric Emergency Room of the Peninsula Hospital in Rockaway Queens, New York Families for Autistic Children, Riverfund and St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. For more information, or to donate to Angels on the Bay, call 718-843-5055 ext. 126 or visit www.angelsonthebay.org.

About St. Mary’s Healthcare System
Today one in five children has a special healthcare need. St. Mary’s provides intensive rehabilitation, specialized care, and education to 4,000 children each day in the New York Metropolitan region and beyond through its family-centered inpatient, home care, and community programs. For more information or to make a contribution, visit www.stmaryskids.org

Angels on the Bay, Inc. is a non for-profit children’s charity founded by Frank Russo, Jr., whose personal encounters with pediatric illness spurred him into action and sponsored by caring individuals who, from personal experiences, have been affected by the heartbreak of children’s suffering. Their mission is to raise funds and awareness to help provide life-enhancing services for the chronically ill, developmentally disabled and physically challenged children. Their contributions are strictly designated for children, pediatric services, medical equipment, education and the research of life threatening diseases.

Since its inception in 1995, Angels on the Bay has successfully raised over $3 million for the renovation and refurbishment of three major pediatric units for the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens. The charity has supported pediatric medical facilities including: HeartShare Human Services of New York, the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Pediatric Unit, Franklin General Hospital Center, Staten Island University Hospital, Angels OnThe Bay Pediatric Unit and Pediatric Emergency Room of the Peninsula Hospital in Rockaway Queens, New York Families for Autistic Children, Riverfund and St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. For more information, or to donate to Angels on the Bay, call 718-843-5055 ext. 126 or visit www.angelsonthebay.org.

Angels On The Bay
162-45 Cross Bay Blvd.
Howard Beach, NY 11414
Fran Harrow

This release was published on openPR.