Lakeville, Minn. — Eight-month-old Chase Richardson has returned home to Lakeville, Minnesota, after undergoing life-saving heart surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital.
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Born prematurely alongside his twin brother, Chase was diagnosed with a heart condition that required an arterial switch procedure.
His parents, Mackenzie and Evan Richardson, sought a second opinion and found a pediatric heart surgeon in Boston who was confident in performing the surgery.
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“He said I am 99.9 percent confident I can do the arterial switch procedure, and it can be one and done,” Mackenzie said.
Chase faced significant health challenges from birth, including being intubated and on oxygen.
Unlike his twin brother Cameron, Chase’s condition required immediate medical intervention.
Transportation to Boston was facilitated by Life Line Pilots, a Midwest nonprofit that provides free flights for patients needing non-emergency medical care.
Volunteer pilot Ken Reily, who has been with the organization for over 15 years, flew Chase and his family to Boston.
“This is a way to get some flying in and feel good about it at the end of the day,” Reily said, who has completed nearly 100 flights with the organization.
After spending a month and a half in Boston, Chase’s recovery has been described by his father as “night and day.”
The Richardsons are now encouraging other families to seek second opinions and utilize nonprofit support when facing medical challenges.
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