AURORA, Colo. — A little boy with a rare heart condition got help from Denver7 viewers in a big way.
Friday was the first time Walker White was in a store since the pandemic began. The 4-year-old was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect. The backpack he carries pumps blood through his body.
"The left ventricle of the heart is underdeveloped. His is 1/6 the size ours is," said Walker's mom, Kristin Brown, back in August.
When we first met Walker we got to see him walk down the steps for the first time. His parents were taking their financial problems step-by-step after the family was forced to pack up their lives and uproot to Colorado from New Mexico.
"We are still about a month behind on everything, still playing catch-up. It feels like as fast as the money comes and goes right back out," explained Brown of their financial situation.
Walker’s father is working 50 hours per week while Walker’s mom takes care of their little boy.
"We haven’t got to see a whole lot about daddy, but that’s OK. We got to do what we got to do," Brown said as she looked at Walker.
Their truck payment and clothes for Walker continue to be things the family struggles to afford. Thanks to Denver7 viewers, the family has two less things to worry about. After our story aired, Denver7 viewers donated $6,500 for the family, $6,000 of which went to truck payments. As for clothes, we gave the family $500 in gift cards to Kohl's. The company then matched $500 in their own donation.
"Thank you guys so much. You have no idea," Brown said to a Kohl's employee.
The good news keeps coming. The family recently found out a heart transplant Walker needs could be right around the corner.
"We were originally thinking January to July of next year and now they’re saying any day and they would be surprised if it’s any later than December," Brown tells Denver7.
If you'd like to donate to Walker's GoFundMe click here.
