AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) - The family of an Auburn Hills Police Department officer has set up a GoFundMe after finding out their son will need a heart transplant.
Mariusz and Iwona Skomski shared on their GoFundMe that their 13-year-old son Daniel needs a heart transplant.
The Auburn Hills Police Department Twitter shows a picture of Daniel standing next to his father, who is sitting in a patrol car and includes a link to the family's fundraiser.
According to the family’s GoFundMe, when Daniel was born, he was diagnosed with “Complex Congenital Heart Disease known as a Single Ventricle Defect with Heterotaxy Syndrome / Dextrocardia along with multiple other defects.”
The family said Daniel has undergone several surgeries since his diagnosis.
“We have always known that further life-saving medical intervention would be necessary in the future,” the family said on their GoFundMe. “As any parent can imagine, we prayed for health and hoped that this moment wouldn't come for a very long time. Unfortunately, to our great despair, the dreadful and gut-wrenching day has come. Our boy is in the hospital, his heart is failing... Daniel needs a heart!!”
The surgeries and treatments following the transplant will be “lifelong and quite expensive,” so the family has set a GoFundMe goal of $150,000. The fundraiser has raised $102,875 so far.
The family said they are “beyond grateful” for the donations and are asking for “thoughts and prayers” from the public during this time.