At only 18 months old, Ezequiel is already a warrior. Here’s a closer look at his latest battle. Miryam Villarreal reports.
At only 18 months old, Ezequiel is already a warrior.
"He's so brave and he's always so happy that I just feel like it affects us more than him sometimes," said Ezequiel's mother Mia Ortiz.
The Newark boy's parents said Ezequiel had his first surgery at only 33 hours old.
Now he is facing another diagnosis, meaning he will need a new liver.
"It just happened to be that the radiologist that day saw his spleen was large for his size, so he gave the red flag to the doctors to look more into it," Ortiz said. "The tests and studies that they did showed that he had a blood clot in his portal vein, which then leads to the diagnosis of portal vein thrombosis."
Portal vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot clogs a critical vein that transports blood from the digestive organs to the liver. Bottom line: A new liver would be life changing for a boy who has already faced a very adult fight for his health.
"A transplant can change Ezekiel's life by honestly just making him a healthier child," Ortiz said.
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The family is asking for the help of other to raise $30,000 they will need to get that life-changing treatment.
For now, the family is taking it one day at a time and relying on their family's strength and Ezekiel's courage.
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"No matter how many surgeries he gets or anything that he goes through, I think just seeing him so happy all the time is our biggest motivation," Ortiz said. "There's always light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like just push through and everything will be OK."
