Gary Lange, an Albuquerque man and the father of a sick girl, said his family had to travel out of state to take care of her medical issues.
Lange's daughter, Katherine, is five years old. She was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) before she was born, according to KOAT. Due to the birth defect, the left side of her heart did not develop fully. The young girl is now fighting for her life, as HLHS can cause breathing difficulties and other symptoms.
"We got diagnosed at 20 weeks pregnant and found out we were going to have this heart defect, and they gave us some options," Lange said. "They told us, 'Well, you're going to have to go to Colorado or somewhere else because nobody in New Mexico can do the surgeries.' She's had three open-heart surgeries – one at four days old, one at four months old, and one at 2.5 years of age. She's had approximately 10 heart catheterizations. Just in the last 12 months, she's had over 40 blood draws.
"She is set for her 11th heart catheterization procedure before the end of the year. You see this perfect healthy child and you also know at one minute, she can have a stroke."
Lange said his daughter's heart condition is only one of her issues. She also suffers from liver leakage.
"It's called protein-losing enteropathy, and it has to do with the lymphatic system leaking into the liver," he said. "Blood goes through the pathways, through resistance, and pushes down on the liver, which is causing her albumin to leak."
Katherine might need a heart and liver transplant to save her life, Lange said.
"She's on numerous medications, and they will keep trying to control it as long as they keep her on medication," he said. "Then, eventually, she would probably start to go downhill, and we're going to have to make other decisions."
Her father describes Katherine as loving, caring, and free-spirited, KOAT reported.
"She's very caring, very empathetic, and she loves people," Lange said. "Any time she sees someone sick, she's really concerned about them. She's five years old. She's been through so much in life already, but that doesn't stop her from caring about other people and being the best human being she can be.
"I want to raise awareness. Know that you're not alone; there are people here to help you."
For more information on congenital heart defects, visit https://www.heartworksinc.org/.