Local family needs help to cover heart transplant costs

MILWAUKEE-- A local family needs help as they prepare for a heart transplant for their 7-month-old baby.



The cost of the transplant often exceeds $500,000 and while this family will have some help with health insurance, they're still in need of some financial aid to cover the procedure.



By simply looking at Baby Ashton Romero, you'd never know he suffers froma heart defect. But before he was born, doctors found out he had Pulmonary Atresia.



\"Basically, his pulmanary artery is completely blocked off and his right ventricle did not form correctly so his heart is not able to pump blood to his lungs,\" said Gina Romero, Ashton's mom.



The treating cardiologist told Gina this was the worst case he'd seen in his 20 years of practice. That made for a very difficult pregnancy for Gina.



Baby Ashton has lived most of his life at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He had surgery to route oxygen to his lungs and was released to go home just a few weeks ago.



Now, they are just waiting for a heart to be available. But while they wait, they are preparing for the financial costs of the surgery.



Gina's sister set up a fundraising website via the Children's Organ Transplant Association. Their goal is to raise $60,0000.



To help the Romero family with a donation, visit their website at http://www.cotaforashtonr.com