CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi community gathered Sunday to support 8-year-old Hero Rodriguez. He's battling a rare congenital heart condition called Ebstein anomaly. The condition affects the valve that separates the top and bottom right heart chambers and that particular valve does not form correctly.
Hero's family has been raising funds for a life-saving surgery that can only be performed by a specialized surgeon in Minnesota.
The benefit was hosted by the VFW and the Big Bertha Foundation by Pete Trevino. During Sunday's fundraiser, BBQ plates were sold to help with medical and travel expenses for Hero's surgery.
“The support has been overwhelming,” Hero’s mother, MaryAnn Rodriguez, said. “Strangers and people have been coming up to us. And Hero, he has been a fighter. He’s showing people that it doesn’t matter what you’re fighting, just keep fighting and pushing through and it’ll be good. It’ll come out fine.”
The Rodriguez family tells KRIS 6 News the journey has not been easy, but the community’s support has brought them strength. For those who could not attend Sunday's fundraiser, donations are still being accepted through the family’s GoFundMe page.
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