FARMINGDALE, NY — The Over the Hill Gang Softball League’s annual fundraiser will benefit the family of a baby girl with a new heart.
The fundraiser is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 28 at Allen Park in Farmingdale.
Mia Skaats was home with her mom and dad for five weeks when she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. She needed a lifesaving heart transplant. Mia, now 8 months old, successfully received her new heart, New York-Presbyterian Health Matters announced.
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Her parents, James and Nicole, relocated to New York City so they could remain by their baby’s bedside while she received care at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in NYC, according to the Over the Hill Gang. The men’s 40-and-older softball league wanted to celebrate the “little heart warrior” and alleviate the financial impacts on her family. All proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Skaats.
“Our charity which has operated for the past 44 years relies heavily on the generosity of our players, community and corporate philanthropy,” Kevin Brosnan, commissioner of Over the Hill Gang, told Patch. “If you, your business, or perhaps the company you work for are in a position to make a donation — either monetary or a gift certificate/item for our raffles — we would be very appreciative.”
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The fundraiser will feature free pizza, heros and ice cream; a grand prize; dozens of raffles; live music by the Suburban Brothers Band; face painting; and more.
“It’s a night of neighborhood camaraderie, complimentary food, music and softball,” Brosnan said. “Money for Mia’s ongoing care is raised with our raffles and through donations.”
The lives of Mia and 2-month-old Brooklyn Civil were saved when they were part of the first-ever domino heart valve transplant in infants — an unprecedented procedure that involved transplanting parts of Mia’s heart into Brooklyn’s, according to New York-Presbyterian Health Matters.
A domino transplant happens when one patient receives an organ transplant and, in turn, donates a healthy organ or healthy parts of an organ to another patient, becoming both a recipient and a live donor.
Mia received a full heart transplant, which then made it possible for the healthy valves from her old heart to be placed into Brooklyn’s heart through a partial heart transplant.
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“Making it all happen required the right patients, the right timing, and the tireless teamwork of a multidisciplinary care team that included the transplant service team, child life services, nurses, doctors, the perioperative and surgical teams, and more,” Health Matters wrote.
Allen Park is at 45 Motor Ave., Farmingdale.
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