Lansing Elementary School Gymnasium Renamed after Second-Grade Heart Hero, Carson Asher
The Lansing Elementary Gymnasium has been officially renamed the "Lansing Elementary Carson Asher Gymnasium" after our very own second-grader and heart hero, Carson Asher. Carson raised $1,200 for Jump Rope for Heart this year and has raised approximately $4,000 since his kindergarten year here in Lansing USD469. Jump Rope for Heart is near and dear to Carson and his family because he has a rare heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).
According to his mom, Megan Asher, "HLHS is a rare heart defect that occurs during fetal growth when the baby's heart is developing, and the cause is unknown. The left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped. It can't properly supply blood to the body because the lower chamber is too small. In addition, the valves on the left side of the heart don't work properly, and the aorta is smaller than normal. Without surgery, HLHS is fatal within the first week or two of life."
"After Carson was diagnosed, he was transferred to Children's Mercy Hospital in KC, where we met with doctors to discuss our options. We were given two options, take him home on hospice or proceed with a series of three open-heart surgeries with no guarantee that he would even survive the first one. We were told he would have a 40% chance of either dying or needing a heart transplant by the age of 5. There is no cure for HLHS, but the most common treatment is a series of three open-heart surgeries to help restore heart function. This is not a corrective disease, but the surgeries will help prolong his life. At just four days old, Carson had to undergo his first open heart surgery called the Norwood. Carson had his second open heart surgery at six months old called the Glenn and had his third open-heart surgery called the Fontan when he was three and a half years old. Now that all surgeries are complete, Carson is functioning with half a heart. Since there is no cure, Carson will likely have life-long complications and eventually need a heart transplant, but we are hopeful that the repairs on his heart will buy him some time. His heart is doing what it's not designed to do, so it will get weaker over time. At that point, we are hoping technology will have advanced enough that we will have other options besides transplant."Ms. Asher said that there is not one HLHS case that is the same and that every child's condition is a little different.
"Carson's case is pretty rare because of how well he has done. He hasn't had a lot of issues that other children with this disease have had to endure. He never had feeding or weight gain issues. He recovered very quickly with minimal issues after each surgery. We are very lucky to be where we are today with Carson by our side. He has been through so much in his short life and fought a lot to survive. He acts like a normal little boy and enjoys life. He loves to play flag football and basketball and ride his dirt bike. Carson will always need to pace himself. There is a balance that we will always need to support—trusting Carson to make the right choices while not limiting him or forcing him to live in a bubble. We have always tried to allow him to live a normal life. It's not always easy, but we just learned to go at Carson's pace."
Carson was recognized by PE teachers Crissy Robinson and Lee Matzeder at an assembly in front of his peers on Friday, May 13th. Mr. Matzeder is also passionate about Jump Rope for Heart after suffering a heart attack and undergoing open-heart surgery seven years ago.
Carson, along with other students and their families in Lansing Elementary and Intermediate School, raised $12,200 this year for Jump Rope for Heart, earning the top ten student fundraisers a tour of Arrowhead stadium. Watch the website for more information and pictures from that trip.
Jump Rope For Heart is a fundraising program for the American Heart Association. Through the "Kids Heart Challenge," students focus on whole-body wellness while raising life-saving donations for the American Heart Association to help kids facing heart-health issues.