One-month-old Lukas Oszust, of Lacombe, is recovering from his first heart surgery with at least two more surgeries required in the next two years to repair his heart.
His community has stepped forward and organized a Silent Auction and Benefit for Lukas Oszust and His Family on Friday at Lacombe Memorial Centre.
Lukas, born on Aug. 15, had surgery when he was just two weeks old.
When he was five days old, his parents Matt and Kathy Oszust rushed him to Lacombe Hospital after his feet and hands started turning purple. They learned he was struggling to breath.
He was referred to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and then taken by STARS Air Ambulance to Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
Lukas has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect that causes the left side of the heart to be underdeveloped.
Kathy Oszust said her son’s heart is now functioning better. But his left lung collapsed, he was put on dialysis, and a stroke caused him to have seizures, affecting the left side of his body and may have caused brain damage.
So far, lung function has improved but Lukas still has fluid build-up. His kidneys are partially functioning. An MRI hopefully next week will show if there is any brain damage.
“He’s not really considered stable yet,” Kathy Oszust said from Edmonton.
“It’s an up and down roller-coaster, his story. It’s good and then it’s bad.
“In the last couple of days he’s been moving his left side a lot more. It’s a really good sign.”
She said if the stroke only impacted one side of his brain, the damage could be reversed.
The last time she was able to hold Lukas was the morning of his surgery.
“It’s been a while so it’s been tough,” said his mother, who broke down in tears.
“We can touch his hand and his head. Hopefully in the next few days I’ll be able to hold him, depending on how he is.”
As his family waits by his side, people around the world are reaching out with words of comfort on Facebook at Pray for Baby Lukas.
“It’s just amazing, just going on the Facebook page and seeing encouraging things from people. It’s really what keeps us moving forward.”
And the silent auction and benefit was a surprise, she said.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Admission is $10 per person, available at the door or in advance by calling 403-782-2265.
To make donations or for information, call Jennifer Porfoun at 403-782-7734.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.coms