Gino is an outgoing, silly, loving, smart four year old that has lived a difficult and stressful life. Although Gino has spent his life in and out of the hospital, he always has a positive attitude. He was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Gino had his first open heart surgery at 4 days old, the second at 5 months old and the third at 3 years old. He has had numerous procedures and complications throughout the years.

After the third open heart surgery Gino experienced more complications. At one point he had to have 3 chesttubes placed and a blood transfusion due to a plural effusion and internal bleeding. He also suffers from PLE (protein loss enorithopy) and is on a strict low fat high protein diet.

He loves all animals but his favorite are dinosaurs. Gino attends pre-k when able and loves it. He especially loves the bus ride to and from school. He has a huge imagination, enjoys visiting museums, and the Shed Aquarium.

Gino was placed on the heart transplant list as the most urgent category, type 1A. He is currently admitted at the hospital waiting for a donor. He keeps busy doing crafts, music therapy, playing board games and walking the halls with mommy.

In honor of Gino and his family, we are also asking for financial support to COTA to assist with transplant-related expenses, such as those not covered by insurance. 
If you would be interested in hosting a fundraiser for COTA in honor of Gino, please let us know or contact our community coordinator, Jury Ramirez at jury24r@gmail.com.

We are so thankful for the love, support and prayers so many have shown us thus far in this journey. Our hope is that this page is a place where you can come to help support COTA in Gino’s honor, encourage Gino and our family, and also receive updates and current prayer requests.

Please take the time to share this page. It is greatly appreciated.
God bless. 

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.