RMHC Kept Our Family Together During Times of Uncertainty
In November 2023, Sammi and Luis learned that their unborn son Javi had 22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. They faced the terrifying reality of a heart defect that would require surgery shortly after his birth. The lives of the family of four including 4-year-old Zion, and 2-year-old Luca became a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments and uncertainty as they braced for the challenges ahead.
Javi was born five weeks early and spent 30 days at the NICU in their local hospital in Boise, Idaho. There, Javi gained strength to be discharged expecting his first open-heart surgery a few months later. Their time at home after discharge turned into horrifying ambulance rides, a rotating door at the hospital, and constant fear of losing their son. Javi’s heart surgery couldn’t wait.
The Cuevas family flew from Boise to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, expecting to be there for just a week. Instead, Javi endured three surgeries, and the family’s stay extended for months. At first, while Javi was fighting to recover in the Cardiovascular ICU, Sammi and Luis stayed in a hotel 30 minutes away, but the cost and distance were overwhelming. That’s when Ronald McDonald House Charities welcomed them in and brought relief to their difficult situation.
