Family in appeal to raise funds for open heart surgery on two-year-old son
Ignacy Zygadlo, 2, will fly to Germany with his parents Maciek and Asia within the next two months for heart surgery, but only if they can raise the €16,500 cost of the operation.
The Zygadlo family hails from Krakow in Poland, but have been living in Wexford for six years now. They have made the Kilmore Quay area their home and Ignacy’s older brother Andrzej, 11, is a pupil in the local school.
Ignacy has a heart defect called Aortic valve stenosis, which is an abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve, which ensures blood is pumped from the heart’s left ventricle throughout the body. His mother, Asia, said it was diagnosed when he was just four months old.
“The shock we suffered was enormous. Helplessness was mixed with the desire to help him as soon as possible,” said Asia, who along with Maciek carried out research into the condition and the best options available for Ignacy.
“The valve repair operation has to be carried out before irreversible changes in the heart and lungs take place,” she said.
Down the line, Ignacy’s aorta will need to replaced, but Asia explained that they are trying to delay this for as long as possible with the first operation.
“The heart surgeon will cut the fused leaflets of the valve extending the opening in the valve or in the narrow part of the valve to widen the blood flow passage,” she said.
“This technique preserves native valve function and avoids or at least deters aortic valve replacement.
“The second surgery Ignacy will undergo in the future. When the valve reconstruction is impossible, or if it is already very damaged, the native valve is removed and in its place a specially prepared valve is implanted.
‘Unfortunately, in young children, such an implanted valve is relatively quickly damaged and calcified, often requiring multiple exchanges. The size also needs to be changed as the child grows bigger. This requires another surgery. Therefore, it is important that Ignacy’s valve function is preserved until it is possible to implant a large size artificial or biological valve,” said Asia.
“We have spoken to the best surgeons and they said open heart surgery is the best way. Every day we struggle with the thoughts about the operation that awaits him,” said Asia.
“The scariest part for me is that a mechanical pump will have to look after his circulation during the operation on his heart,” said Asia.
She said that the doctor who will be performing the operation is Munich- based Edward Malec, who specialises in paediatric heart surgery. He feels the operation needs to take place within the next two months.
“We were hoping he would last until he was four or eight years old before he needed this surgery, but he needs it now,” said Asia.
“Hopefully he will then be able to get by with his own valve until he’s a teenager.”
The surgery and associated treatment will cost €16,500 and Maciek, a graphic designer, is unemployed so the family cannot raise the money themselves.
Through appeals they have raised €8,000 and are already almost halfway there. Asia said this is down to “people’s generosity and good will”, particularly those in their adopted home of Wexford, where a fundraising gig takes place this Friday night.
She said that she and Maciek feel there is “probably nothing worse than asking strangers for money”, but that their love for their son and the desire to ensure he has the best possible care means they have put pride to one side.
Despite getting tired sometimes, being a little skinny and his legs being a tad weak, Asia said Ignacy is in great form and “a little charmer” and “constantly smiling”.
An account has been set up for Ignacy and is administered by the Cor Infantis Foundation for children with heart defects.
* For more details visit www.ignacy.sos.pl/index_ en.html
