Fundraiser to help pay for Bloomingdale girl's heart transplant
Anyone looking at Kacey Koster of Bloomingdale would never suspect the trouble stirring inside the lively 7-year-old.
She plays with her friends and participates as much as possible in gym class at Winnebago Elementary School.
And during the last days of summer, her splashing created background noise while her mom, Cheryl Koster, held a phone conversation at the local pool.
"She's swimming right now," Koster said with a proud laugh. "She functions very normally."
Soon, however, Kacey will need a heart transplant to repair a progressive heart defect she's suffered from since birth. Because she was born with her right ventricle missing, Kacey already has endured three open-heart surgeries to correct the problem.
But recently, said her mother, Kacey's coronary arteries started leaking along with another leak in her mitral valve.
Doctors fear one more repair will create more problems, said Koster, but Kacey's condition puts her life in danger.
"We hoped we could wait (for a transplant) until she was 13 or so," said Koster. "The only reason to put her on the list this early is because Kacey is at a very high risk for a heart attack and the doctors need to be prepared."
In addition to her heart condition, Kacey was also recently diagnosed with celiac disease, which disrupts the absorption of nutrients into the small intestine, as well as a growth defect that cannot be treated with hormones due to her heart defect.
For all of her conditions, she is now being treated at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago where her eventual heart transplant will happen.
"We're kind of in a mess with doctors right now," Koster said.
After meeting the Kosters a year ago while volunteering at Winnebago, Haidee Gospodarek noticed that "mess" and wanted to help. At the end of the 2008-09 school year, she sold candy bars to help the family with their mounting medical bills. But as the need for Kacey's transplant nears, Gospodarek wanted to do more.
So this Sunday, she's hosting a fundraiser for the family at Shark City in Glendale Heights. The event will feature DJ music and raffles to continue collecting funds for Kacey's medical treatments.
"It was just something I wanted to do and I kind of dove in," said Gospodarek. "I have three kids at Winnebago and our kids play together."
Koster said she was so touched she "could just cry" when she learned of the efforts to help her daughter. While she tries to keep upbeat for Kacey and shields her daughter from the alarming details of her illness, Koster said the worry never ends.
"She doesn't know the extent of her problem and we want people to treat her pretty normally," said Koster. "Kacey says she has a special heart. But I take it day by day and, trust me, I don't sleep at night. But I have to be positive for her to stay positive."
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> Fundraiser for Kacey Koster</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Shark City, 2240 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> $5</p> <p class="News"><b>Details:</b> Haidee Gospodarek at (630) 202-5064</p> <p class="News"><b>Donations:</b> Kacey Koster, P.O. Box 475, Blomingdale, IL 60108</p>