Stockton Boy With Heart Condition Asks For Blood Donations On Valentine's Day Birthday
STOCKTON (CBS13) — A young man's 13th birthday is on Valentine's Day, and instead of accepting gifts, he wants others to give the gift of life.
It may be ironic, or just fitting that Gino was born on Valentine's Day with a heart condition. He's asking people to come out to a blood drive on Saturday and help others like him who need blood donors to survive.
Waverly School in Stockton held an assembly just for Gino Frattaroli Hebert on Friday. The soon-to-be-13-year-old has been away from school for awhile, in and out of the hospital. The school's staff wanted to let classmates know the challenges he faces every day.
"He was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which is a very rare heart condition. it means that the left side of his heart has never developed," said his mom Twana Frattaroli Hebert.
She says he's endured three open-heart surgeries and fights every day to stay healthy.
He used to be able to run around more, but his condition has slowed him down.
"I don't get to do much more no more," he said.
But he doesn't complain, his principal Lisa Pettis says.
"He has always got a smile on his face," she said "And he is so positive. When we ask him 'How do you feel today?' 'How are you doing?' he always says 'I'm fine. Everything's great.'
He's on the heart transplant list and needs treatments that are made from blood donations. When it was time to plan for his birthday, he said all he wanted was for others to give blood.
"To give back life to other kids," he said.
A birthday blood drive will be held at the school from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
"He is an amazing kid who's overcome so many obstacles with his heart disease," Pettis said.