Santiago's Story

Sweet baby Santiago, at seven-and-a-half months old, had spent just 20 short days at home with his twin brother and family. He was born with complex congenital heart disease and by the time he was six months old, he had already endured two open heart surgeries and later a heart transplant.

Santiago's devoted parents often took shifts at the hospital to care for him. While at home, they cared for his twin brother and their two other young children.

During this time, Santiago's father had to take many unpaid days off from work to care for his family and be at his son's bedside. With the additional expenses of travel, hospital parking, child care, and meals outside of their home, the financial strain on their family became overwhelming.

Following Santiago's heart transplant, the rent assistance they received through the Family Assistance Program relieved some of their great stress and allowed them be present and continue to focus on his recovery during a critical time.