Financial Assistance & Impact

Heart of a Dinosaur is honored to remember Brian Jr., lovingly called “B,” and welcome his family into ours.

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Brian Jr. was born with congenital heart disease, and from the beginning, his journey asked an extraordinary amount of such a little heart. His family walked beside him through hospital stays, procedures, frightening moments, hopeful ones, and every precious ordinary moment they were given together.

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During one of the most critical chapters of his journey, Brian developed a blood clot in his right coronary artery, cutting off blood flow to the right side of his heart—his main pumping chamber because of his congenital heart defect.

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Brian went into cardiac arrest, and his medical team at Texas Children's Hospital fought for his life through two hours of CPR. He was placed on ECMO and later underwent surgery and cardiac catheterization, where his team was able to successfully remove the clot.

His family waited, hoped, prayed, and continued to believe in the little boy they knew to be incredibly strong and brave.

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Ultimately, Brian's heart could not recover.​ After six beautiful months of being loved beyond measure, Brian Jr. became a Heart Angel.

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In sharing his story, his mom wrote something we believe says more about his life than any list of diagnoses or procedures ever could: “He knew nothing but love his entire life.”

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His six months mattered. They were filled with his mommy and daddy holding him, fighting for him, praying for him, making memories with him, and reminding him again and again just how loved he was.

When Brian's family was faced with the unimaginable task of laying their baby boy to rest, Heart of a Dinosaur was honored to help by covering the cost of his casket. SoulShine Industries created something beautiful and deeply personal for B, giving his family one less burden to carry during an impossibly difficult time.

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Brian's mom describes the time they were given with him as their miracle. His family will continue to speak his name, share his story, and carry his memory with them throughout their lives.

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And Heart of a Dinosaur will remember him, too.

Brian Jr. was here. He was his mommy and daddy's baby. He was their miracle. And he was loved beyond measure. 🩵🕊️

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Heart of a Dinosaur is honored to have Brian Jr. forever among our Heart Heroes and Heart Angels, and we are grateful that we were able to stand beside his family when they needed someone to help carry a small piece of an impossibly heavy burden.

Camilla came into the world earlier than expected, at 35 weeks. During her birth, she experienced meconium aspiration, and doctors quickly discovered something else: Camilla was born with a heart defect called DORV (Double Outlet Right Ventricle).

Her tiny body had already been through so much, but Camilla was determined to fight. For the first three weeks of her life, Camilla fought hard to stay alive. Then, she, her mom, and her brother were transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where Camilla could receive the specialized care she needed.

Soon, Camilla underwent heart surgery. She spent five days in the ICU while doctors carefully watched over her. There were a few minor complications, but little by little, Camilla became stronger. Eventually, the day her family had been waiting for came: Camilla was able to go home with her mom and brother.

But her journey wasn’t over. At home, Camilla faced new challenges. Feeding was difficult, and she needed a feeding tube to help her get the nutrition she needed. She also had to work hard to reach milestones that came more easily to other babies. Gaining weight was a struggle, but Camilla kept fighting. Day by day, she became stronger.

Today, Camilla no longer needs her feeding tube. She is slowly gaining weight, working toward her milestones, and showing everyone just how strong her little heart can be. Her journey hasn’t been easy. She has had to fight battles that no baby should ever have to face. But Camilla is still here. She is growing. She is fighting. She is thriving. And every milestone she reaches is a reminder that sometimes the smallest hearts can hold the greatest amount of courage. 

Heart of a Dinosaur is proud to watch Camilla continue to face each challenge with such strength and courage, and we are honored to have her as part of our Heart Hero family. 

Quinn's journey began before she was even born. During pregnancy, doctors diagnosed her with a complex congenital heart condition, including Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum (PA/IVS), Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS), and cardiomyopathy.

At just 32 weeks pregnant, Quinn's mom was life-flighted from Idaho to Utah, where Quinn and her twin sister, Harper, were delivered by emergency C-section.

From her very first moments, Quinn has fought harder than anyone could have imagined.

Over the past 13 months, she has endured multiple heart procedures, cardiac arrest, ECMO support, serious infections, and the implantation of a Berlin Heart as she waits for the greatest gift of all: a lifesaving heart transplant. Since the day she was born, Quinn has remained inpatient at the hospital, spending every day surrounded by the medical teams who continue to fight alongside her.

Yet through every setback, Quinn continues to amaze everyone around her with her incredible strength, resilience, and joyful spirit.

And through it all, her twin sister, Harper, has been right beside her, growing up as Quinn's biggest cheerleader, constant companion, and very best friend.

Quinn's journey has been anything but easy, but she reminds us every day what courage, hope, and perseverance truly look like. She is a remarkable little fighter, an inspiration to so many, and a true Heart Warrior.

We are honored to welcome Quinn and her family into the Heart of a Dinosaur family. We look forward to walking beside them, celebrating every milestone, and cheering Quinn on as she continues her incredible journey.

​When Olivia was born, her parents learned before leaving the hospital that she had a congenital heart defect called Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). She began seeing a cardiologist every three months, where doctors closely monitored her condition and hoped the PDA would close on its own.

Over time, it became clear that Olivia's PDA was large and would likely require intervention. As her family discussed a catheter procedure to close the defect, Olivia experienced a frightening medical emergency. Her heart rate soared to 247 beats per minute, leading to a trip to Santa Rosa Hospital. During her evaluation, doctors discovered that her heart had become enlarged, and she was diagnosed with SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia). She was transferred to Children's Hospital in San Antonio, where plans moved forward to close her PDA.

In December, Olivia underwent a catheter procedure that initially appeared successful. However, before she was discharged, a follow up chest X-ray revealed that the device used to close the PDA had become dislodged and traveled into her lung. Doctors immediately returned her to the cath lab for a second procedure that lasted seven hours, but unfortunately the device could not be retrieved.

As a result, Olivia underwent open heart surgery to remove the device and repair her PDA. Following surgery, Olivia and her family spent 19 days in the Pediatric ICU as she recovered.

Today, Olivia continues to see her cardiologist every three months. Her medical team is still monitoring her heart, as part of the lower left chamber remains thicker than expected. Despite everything she has endured, Olivia is happy, energetic, and doing wonderfully.

She is one strong little heart warrior, and we are honored to welcome her and her family to the Heart of a Dinosaur community.

We cannot wait to watch Olivia continue to grow, thrive, and get stronger every day.

Let us introduce “Rocking and Rolling” Roland Lennox as his cardiac nursing team family knows him.

Roland was born June 2, 2025 and we found out that he had hypoplastic left heart syndrome early along in the pregnancy and had been to every specialist in the state of Louisiana to come up with a plan of action. If Roland were to be born anywhere other than New Orleans he wouldn’t have made it through the birthing process. Not only did he only have one chamber of his heart but his arteries were smaller than the sharpened tip of a #2 pencil. His survival rate was low. Roland was born in Touro and rushed straight to the cath lab at Manning Family and Children Hospital where they were able to balloon the arteries and buy some time.

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From birth to now Roland has had 8 heart procedures with more to come in the near future. Roland has Mitral Stenosis and Aortic Atresia, all while having had a stroke while in the hospital. Roland’s road has been long and hard and his spirit is always so bright. He is able to light up a room and melt a heart in a split second. His path is still uncertain, but for now we know there is least two more major open heart surgeries with a possibility of a heart transplant if these procedures do not go in his favor.

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Our hospital stays get a little longer every time. The time we spend away from our other som gets to us also. We are so grateful for what we do have and every single day. To know Roland is to love him and he is miracle. His cardiac team named him “Rocking Rolling” because even though complications come his way Roland comes back fighting harder every single time and overcomes them with smiles.

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Heart of a Dinosaur is happy to rock and roll along with Roland and his family in the journey.

Alaina’s heart journey began before she was born, when her mother, Cheyenne, learned during pregnancy that Alaina had a congenital heart defect. Throughout her pregnancy, Cheyenne visited Methodist Children’s Hospital to prepare for Alaina’s birth and the specialized care she would need from her very first moments.

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On February 3, 2025, Alaina was born at 36 weeks gestation. She was immediately taken to the NICU, where her first echocardiogram confirmed her complex congenital heart defects. Alaina was born with an Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD), an abnormal left AV heart valve, and a severe coarctation of her aorta.

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On February 25, 2025, Alaina underwent her first open-heart surgery. During the remainder of her stay in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU (PCICU), she was cared for by an incredible team of specialists, including cardiology, cardiac surgery, general surgery, nephrology, neurosurgery, neurology, gastroenterology, and endocrinology.

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After nearly two months in the hospital, Alaina was finally able to go home. Her family learned the many specialized aspects of her care, including managing medications, monitoring her oxygen levels, heart rate, weight, and so much more. During the four months she spent at home, Alaina thrived while continuing to be closely followed by her medical team through dozens of appointments.

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In July, Alaina returned to the hospital for a cardiac catheterization so her team could gather the specialized information needed before her next surgery.

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On August 5, 2025, Alaina underwent her second heart surgery. Following that procedure, she remained in the PCICU for an extended hospitalization. Throughout her journey, Alaina faced extraordinary challenges, including additional open-heart surgeries to repair and replace her mitral valve, multiple cardiac catheterizations, peritoneal dialysis, plasmapheresis, blood transfusions, and countless other procedures. Her family spent Alaina’s first Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s by her side in the hospital.

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Through it all, Alaina showed incredible strength, resilience, and determination. Day after day, she continued to fight alongside her family and the dedicated team at Methodist Children’s Hospital.

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Although Alaina's journey on Earth was far shorter than anyone hoped, the impact she made will last forever. Her courage inspired everyone who had the privilege of knowing her, and her story is one of extraordinary love, unwavering strength, and the incredible bond between a little girl and the family who never left her side.

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Today, we remember Alaina not only as one of our Heart Heroes, but as one of our cherished Heart Angels. Her life reminds us why our mission matters and why every heartbeat is precious.

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To Cheyenne, your family, and everyone who loved Alaina, thank you for allowing Heart of a Dinosaur to walk alongside you during her journey. We are honored to carry Alaina's memory with us as we continue supporting children with congenital heart disease and the families who love them.

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Sweet Alaina will always be part of the Heart of a Dinosaur family. She will never be forgotten.

Please meet the rambunctious Samuel who is three years old, and surviving a medical journey that would break most adults. The entire pregnancy we believed he was healthy, with the only concern being horseshoe kidneys — something we were told was just an ultrasound finding and “nothing to worry about.” But the moment he was born, our world flipped. One diagnosis became another, and suddenly we were living in a reality no parent prepares for.

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Right after birth, Samuel was diagnosed under the VATER spectrum. He had an anorectal malformation that required immediate intervention. Doctors then found a tethered spinal cord. He struggled to breathe because of tracheomalacia and chronic lung disease.

On top of that, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 2 before he was even old enough to lift his own head. Every day brought new specialists, new tests, new fears. The hardest battles came from his urinary system. He was born with a neurogenic bladder and an ectopic ureter, which caused constant reflux back into his kidneys. That reflux created scarring — permanent damage — before he even had a chance to grow. He’s undergone multiple surgeries and procedures to protect what kidney function he still has, and we know this will be a lifelong fight for him.

Because of his kidney disease, Samuel developed hypertension at an age when most toddlers are learning shapes and colors — not having their blood pressure checked. During a routine echo to monitor the strain on his heart, doctors found a patent foramen ovale (PFO). It was another moment where we barely had time to process one diagnosis before the next arrived.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, genetic testing later revealed a duplication on chromosome 16p11.2, adding another layer to his medical picture and long-term monitoring. Samuel’s care team is huge — cardiology, nephrology, pulmonology, genetics, urology — all working together just to keep his little body stable.

He has monthly follow-ups, frequent imaging, ongoing treatments, and more hospital time than any child should ever recognize. He knows the sound of hospital monitors better than most preschool songs. But even with all of this, Samuel remains incredibly strong. He is sweet, brave, and resilient in ways that make us proud and break our hearts at the same time. As parents, we’ve had to learn to navigate fear, medical language, and constant “what-ifs.” We celebrate small victories because for Samuel, nothing about his health has ever been small. This is his journey — complicated, emotional, unpredictable — but filled with hope. And every day, we fight alongside him, matching his strength with our own, doing whatever it takes to give him the childhood he deserves.

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Heart of a Dinosaur is blessed to be able to have met Sammy and his family, we are honored to be able to be a part of their lives and watch his continue to grow thru all his trials.

Cohen James Matte was born on May 12,2022. He was born 8 pounds 7 ounces and we thought he was perfectly healthy. During his 24 hours blood work he went into cardiogenic shock and was transferred to the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio where they discovered he had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (the left side of his heart never developed in the womb) he also had severe mitral hypoplasia/stenosis, aortic atresia and a small ventricular shunt defect, kidney failure and suffered pulmonary over circulation.

Cohen has had many surgeries and hospitalizations to treat his HLHS. His first open heart surgery (Norwood) was at 7 days old. His second open heart surgery (Glenn) was done at just 5 months old. And his third open heart surgery (Fontan) will be done in the coming weeks. He has had numerous hospital stays including his 47 day NICU stay, 2 open heart surgery stays, 6 cardiac catheterizations, sick stays, and balloon angioplasty of his aorta.

Cohens favorite saying is “I’m strong” while showing us his muscles. He has changes so many lives in his short time and he will continue to move mountains no matter the obstacles he faces.

Hi, my name is Paisley Lynn Korzekwa. I was born on March 26, 2025, at 12:50 p.m., weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 20 inches long. From the very beginning, I came into this world with strength and a fighting spirit, because I was born with a special heart condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). That means the left side of my heart didn’t develop the way it should, so I’ve had to be incredibly brave—even as a tiny baby.

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When I was just five days old, on March 31, I had my first open-heart surgery—the Norwood. It was a big moment in my life, and my family says I handled it like a warrior. The doctors and nurses took great care of me, and I began my journey of healing and growing.

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In May, I had to go to the Cath Lab twice—on May 12 and May 30—for a balloon angioplasty. These procedures helped open up some of the blood vessels in my heart and lungs, making it easier for me to breathe and grow.

Then, on June 10, I had my second open-heart surgery, called the Glenn. This surgery helped re-route the blood flow in my heart so I could get stronger and healthier. After that, I slowly started my recovery process in the hospital and in the arms of my family, where I belonged.

Every scar on my chest became part of my story—a story of courage, hope, and strength. I may have been born with a little heart, but it was filled with big love and endless bravery.

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My time here was far shorter than anyone had hoped, but every moment of my life was filled with love. Though my journey on Earth came to an end, my story did not. It lives on through my family, through everyone who prayed for me, and through the hearts I touched along the way.

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With wings instead of scars to carry me forward, I am now a Heart Angel, forever loved and forever remembered.

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Love,

Paisley Lynn

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Being able to meet Paisley's family was so special to our hearts, and it remains an incredible honor to have been a small part of Paisley's journey. While we wish her story had unfolded differently, we will forever remember her courage, her strength, and the love she inspired in everyone who knew her.

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Paisley will always be a cherished part of the Heart of a Dinosaur family. Her legacy reminds us why we continue our mission to stand beside children with congenital heart disease and the families who love them.

Meet the brave Julian Ray Garza who was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease and a diaphragmatic hernia at his 20 week ultrasound while he was still in his mommy’s tummy. While each visit it was becoming more clear to the doctors that Julian’s chances of life after birth were very slim.

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Despite everyone telling us “no”, God said “yes.” Our faith remained strong and Julian was born September 26, 2024, weighing exactly 7 pounds and born at 11:11 PM. Julian spent the next four months in the hospital where he had a stent placed as a minor fix for his heart and within a couple months he had a very risky surgery to revise his diaphragmatic hernia and against all odds, the surgery was successful.

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Despite the success Julian’s cardiac surgeon told us there was nothing else they could do to help without causing more harm than good. The medical teams decision was to not operate any further.

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At that time we came to an agreement that it was time for Julian to be released home to heal and experience the world outside of the hospital and live life to the fullest while he still could. Julian fully healed and became a frequent visitor of the San Antonio Zoo, Seaworld, the Aquarium, the park and any other fun places as long as Mom was by his side. He got to meet so many loving family members and friends and by the time we knew it, Julian was turning 1 year old. Through all the beautiful memories we were making our hearts full, but our minds couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more to be done for Julian. We were no longer satisfied with there being “no other option” for our strong, brave, happy baby boy.

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Our familiy began the search for a second opinion and with the help of family and friends help was found at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin Texas.

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During the initial meeting with the doctors, the surgeon was certain he could operate with very low risk. Our faith grew stronger and our hope was restored, knowing that there was an opportunity that wasn’t there before. The surgeon informed us that surgery needed to take place within a couple months before there was permanent damage to Julian‘s heart and lungs and only a few weeks later we had a surgery date scheduled!

It is now December 2025, Julian has had the first of several open heart surgeries and is working hard to recover with family by his side along with many prayers from all around, supporting him through this journey.

The Heart of a Dinosaur foundation found him at the most perfect time, everything just aligned effortlessly no doubt with the help of a few angels and the Lord knows that Julian, his mommy and his family are so honored to be a part of the Heart of a Dinosaur family.

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Heart of a Dinosaur is honored to be a part of this brave little man’s walk through life, and continue to see him live life to the fullest.