Denis
Denis’s mom was 13 when he was born, and his father is currently in prison. He underwent his first surgery as a newborn in 2022, when doctors attempted to open a narrow pulmonary valve with a non-invasive balloon procedure, which ultimately failed. His grandmother and aunt take in laundry and clean homes to cover basic expenses so that his mom can stay in school.
Denis’s open-heart surgery appears to have been successful, but he was re-hospitalized a week later with pneumonia. He’s now back home and stable.