Support Valentino’s Journey

The last few days have brought some of the most encouraging news we’ve received in a very long time.

Following surgery, the medical team spent the last few days carefully monitoring Valentino and allowing his heart and body time to recover. There were a few moments where progress moved a little slower than hoped, including a delay in removing his breathing tube while the team worked through some post-operative heart rhythm concerns.

But yesterday and today brought major victories.

On Thursday morning, Valentino was successfully extubated and transitioned to a high-flow nasal cannula. Since then, he has continued to do remarkably well.

Even more exciting, all sedation has now been turned off. Seeing him awake, alert, looking around, and showing us his personality again has been a gift we don’t have the words to describe.

His numbers continue to look very encouraging, and the medical team has been pleased with how he is progressing.

One moment from yesterday caught us completely by surprise. A member of the care team stopped by to begin discussing what a discharge plan might look like. After months of surgeries, ICU stays, infections, setbacks, and uncertainty, it felt almost unreal to hear the words “going home” enter the conversation.

There’s still recovery ahead of us, and we know plans can change quickly in the hospital. But if things continue moving in the right direction, there is a possibility we could be discharged in about two weeks.

For the first time in a long time, home doesn’t feel like a distant dream. It feels like something we can finally begin to see on the horizon.

Last night, Valentino was resting peacefully, and our hearts are overflowing with gratitude.

Thank you for every prayer you’ve offered, every encouraging message you’ve sent, and every way you’ve supported our family through this journey. We are so grateful.

Please continue praying for steady healing, continued progress, and a smooth path toward home.

Tommy & Grace

Today was a big day for Valentino and our family.

After weeks/months of waiting, procedures, setbacks, ICU stays, infections, and prayers, Valentino underwent his second open heart surgery.

We’re incredibly grateful to share that the surgery went well.

The surgeon was able to successfully repair both heart issues that Valentino has been dealing with. After the procedure, he came to speak with us and shared that everything went as well as he had hoped.

As parents, hearing those words brought an overwhelming sense of relief.

Today was emotional from the very beginning. Everyone took turns yesterday cuddling him. Tommy held him all night just to get as much time with him as he could. Handing Valentino over to the surgical team this morning was one of the hardest things we’ve had to do. We knew this surgery was necessary, but that didn’t make the waiting any easier. Thankfully, God carried us through every minute of it.

Valentino is now in the Cardiac ICU beginning the recovery process. While surgery is behind us, recovery is now the focus. There have already been a few bumps in the road that can happen after heart surgery, and the medical team is watching him very closely as his body adjusts and begins to heal.

For today, though, we are choosing gratitude.

We’re grateful for a successful surgery.
We’re grateful for the doctors, nurses, and staff who are caring for him.
We’re grateful for our family, friends, and supporters who have prayed for him every step of the way.

Most of all, we’re grateful for the many prayers that surrounded Valentino today. We truly felt them. Heaven was flooded today and it was beautiful. 

Please continue praying for a smooth recovery, stable heart rhythms, healing, and strength for our little guy as he begins this next chapter.

Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with us.

Tommy & Grace

As we prepare for Valentino’s next open heart surgery, we wanted to take a moment to share an update and say thank you.

The last couple of weeks have been challenging. There have been setbacks, unexpected complications, and some very difficult days for Valentino. Watching him battle discomfort while continuing to recover has been incredibly hard as parents.

At the same time, there have been reasons for hope.

The medical team has continued working to keep him stable, and after months of tests, procedures, hospital stays, and waiting, we finally have a surgery date. Valentino is scheduled to undergo open heart surgery on June 8.

This procedure is intended to address the underlying heart issues that have kept him hospitalized for nearly three months. We are hopeful that this will be a major step toward recovery and, ultimately, toward bringing him home.

We also have something incredible to celebrate.

Because of your generosity, we have officially reached our matching grant goal through Lifesong and the Tim Tebow Foundation.

We are overwhelmed with gratitude. Every donation, every share, every prayer, every encouraging message, and every act of kindness helped make this possible. What started as a financial need became a powerful reminder that we are surrounded by an amazing community of people who have carried us through this journey.

While we have reached the original matching goal, our hospital stay continues to grow longer than we ever anticipated, and we still have another surgery and recovery ahead of us. Because of that, Lifesong has graciously increased our fundraising goal, allowing anyone who still feels led to support our family the opportunity to do so.

Most importantly, we ask for prayers.

Please pray for Valentino as he heads into surgery, for wisdom for the medical team, for a successful procedure, and for a smooth recovery. And please pray that this surgery becomes the turning point that finally starts our journey home.

Thank you for continuing to walk alongside our family. We could not have made it this far without you.

Tommy & Grace

It’s been a couple weeks since our last update, and we wanted to share where things currently stand with Valentino.

A couple weekends ago, Valentino’s oxygen levels began dipping more frequently, which led to him being transferred back into the ICU for closer monitoring and additional testing. During that process, one of his blood cultures came back positive for a bloodstream infection.

Thankfully, the team was able to quickly begin treatment with IV antibiotics, and Valentino responded very well. After multiple negative blood cultures and continued improvement, he was able to transition back out of the ICU and into the step-down unit again.

At the same time, this past stretch has still been one of the hardest we’ve experienced so far.

Over the last week, Valentino has been dealing with significant discomfort related to medication withdrawal and ongoing abdominal issues, which led to several really difficult days for him. Watching him hurt and struggle through that has been incredibly hard as parents.

Thankfully, the last couple of days have brought some encouragement. He still has moments of discomfort, but overall he seems to be doing better compared to how difficult things were over the weekend.

Right now, Valentino remains on oxygen support and heart medications as the team continues working to keep him stable leading into surgery. His feeds have also slowly been increasing again after temporarily being reduced due to digestive and constipation concerns.

At this point, his open heart surgery to repair the VSD is officially scheduled for June 10. There is also a possibility the doctors could move him sooner if a surgical opening becomes available, which we are prayerfully hoping for.

Based on the current timeline and expected recovery afterward, we are now likely looking at around the first week of July before we are able to bring Valentino home. We truly hope it’s sooner, but much of that will depend on the timing of surgery and how recovery goes afterward.

As exhausting and emotional as this journey has been, we continue to trust God through each step and remain incredibly grateful for the prayers and support surrounding our family.

We also wanted to gently bring attention again to the matching grant connected to our Lifesong fundraiser through the Tim Tebow Foundation. With our stay away from home continuing to extend and another major surgery ahead, this support is making a tremendous difference for our family. Every donation continues to be matched dollar-for-dollar, and even simply sharing the link helps more than we can express.

Please continue praying for comfort for Valentino, stability leading into surgery, wisdom for the medical team, and strength for our family in the weeks ahead.

Tommy & Grace

We wanted to share a more encouraging update after the difficult stretch Valentino faced at the end of April.

Since being extubated again on May 3, he has continued making meaningful progress. Over the following days, the team was able to slowly wean many of his stronger medications, and we’ve truly started to see more of his personality shine through.

One of the biggest milestones came on May 8 when he was transferred out of the PICU and into the step-down unit after doing very well.

Over the last week, we’ve seen more smiles, more interaction, and more joy from Valentino than ever before. Watching him become happier and more comfortable after everything his little body has endured has been such a gift.

The next major step is his cardiac catheterization procedure scheduled for Thursday, May 14. The hope is that the doctors will be able to address the VSD during this procedure and avoid another open heart surgery.

We are walking into this next step with a lot of hope and prayer.

Please continue praying for wisdom for the doctors, for a successful procedure, and for continued healing and strength for Valentino.

We also want to say thank you again for the incredible support that has surrounded our family throughout this journey. Every prayer, message, and act of generosity has meant more than we can express.

Tommy & Grace

We wanted to share an update from this past weekend and thank you for continuing to pray for Valentino.

Over the weekend, Valentino experienced a serious medical event. His oxygen levels dropped quickly, and the care team had to act immediately to support his breathing. He was placed back on a breathing tube and stabilized in the PICU.

It was a very intense and scary moment for us, but we are incredibly grateful for how quickly and effectively the medical team responded.

Since then, he has remained in a very fragile state and is being closely monitored. The team has been working carefully to support his heart and lungs while also trying to better understand what led to the event.

Today, he underwent an MRI to give the doctors a more detailed look at his heart and help guide next steps. We are waiting to learn more as they review the results and determine the best path forward.

Right now, we are in a season of taking things moment by moment. The focus is on stabilizing him and gaining clarity on how best to support his heart.

We are so thankful for the continued prayers and support. We feel them, and they are carrying us through this. We’re truly leaning on God, knowing He’s totally in control. 

– Tommy & Grace

Hi all,

After meeting with the cardiology team, we have a better understanding of what’s been going on over the past few days. It appears that a small hole in his heart is allowing blood to circulate in a way that isn’t as effective as it should be, which is contributing to his lower oxygen levels.

His care team also shared that his body is under stress right now, and they are working to support his heart as it recovers.

They’ve made some adjustments to his medications to help reduce fluid and improve how his heart is functioning, and they are watching closely to see how he responds.

Right now, the focus is on stabilization, helping his body respond, strengthening his breathing, and continuing to move in the right direction.

We are trusting in God’s plan, the team caring for him, and we are so grateful for the prayers that continue to surround him.

Please continue to pray for healing, strength, and a positive response to these treatments in the days ahead.

– Tommy & Grace

Hi everyone,

We wanted to share a brief update and thank you again for the continued prayers and support.

After making good progress and transitioning out of the ICU last week, the past few days have brought some new challenges. Valentino began having difficulty with feeds and showed signs that something wasn’t quite right, including lower oxygen levels.

Out of caution, his care team brought him back into the hospital for closer monitoring. While initial tests didn’t show any major concerns, his condition required a higher level of support, and he is currently being closely observed in the PICU.

The team has been working to manage fluid levels and make adjustments to his medications, and we have already seen some encouraging signs, including reduced swelling and a step down in respiratory support.

Right now, the focus is on understanding how his body is responding and helping him stabilize. We’re taking things one day at a time and trusting the process.

The last 72 hours have been especially difficult with these new challenges we’re facing, but we’re so grateful for the care he’s receiving and for the prayers that continue to surround him.

Please continue praying for steady progress, stable oxygen levels, and clarity for his care team in the days ahead.

Thanks to your incredible generosity, $1,375 has already been given, and the Tim Tebow Foundation has matched that amount dollar-for-dollar so far. We are incredibly grateful for this support and the opportunity to continue working toward the full match. Thank you all so much!

– Tommy & Grace