Facebook Group Donates to Celebrate Little Boy's 4th Birthday Before His 8th Surgery

Arden Heights boy, Nico Damato recently celebrated what he and his family described as an unforgettable fourth birthday.

On July 31, news reports said the young boy experienced an extra-special celebration made possible by his family's friends and the State Island's local businesses, which all sought to make his birthday memorable before he undergoes open-heart surgery tomorrow, August 18.

The surgery would be Nico's fifth heart procedure. This is not counting the other three, bringing the total to eight surgeries he has undergone ever since he was born. The operation would be his eighth since he was born with a congenital heart defect, also known as Tetralogy of Fallot or TOF with pulmonary atresia. This is a life-threatening tetralogy categorized by the nonexistence of flow from the right ventricle of the heart to the pulmonary arteries.

As he gets older, Nico's mother, Michelle Damato, said that Nico's heart grows stronger, but he would continue needing more heart surgeries.

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Surgeries and Hospitals Momentarily Forgotten

For a while, during his birthday celebration, the day after his actual birthday, hospitals and surgeries were the last things on Nico's and his guests' minds. 

Momentarily, he forgot about his next operation and enjoyed the balloons, treats, and entertainment, which were all donated by the Facebook Group Staten Island Parents Are Cr@zy members.

Michelle said, she, her husband Jonathan, and her family were overwhelmed by the whole day and could not believe the celebration was made for their son, who was supposedly a stranger to all of them.

Nico's mom added that they would be forever grateful for all that these people have done for them. And, if anyone has the opportunity, "Please pay it forward, I know I will!"

The day's festivities, as described in news reports, were filled with sumptuous luncheon, which Max's Esca donated, Laura Valois' superhero cake and cupcakes, and Batman's appearance made possible by Humble Heroes of New York, a charitable group.

Overflowing Support

According to Noniann Miraglia, Nico's godmother, Nico is going to have a lot of things to do when he comes home from the operation, and she thanked everyone who made the celebration possible for their generosity.

The party for Nico's birthday was the idea of Miraglia, who, according to reports, "reached out to Facebook Group Staten Island Parents Are Cr@zy."

Surprisingly, they turned out in multitudes. "Thanks to the administrators of the group, Gloria and Andrew Keshner."

The group showed up along with truckloads of gifts and toys for the birthday boy. There were also food, cakes cookies, Batman appearance, and anything a child can think of in a grand birthday party.

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First Surgery at 5 Days Old

This month marks Nico's fourth year of fighting for his life since he was diagnosed with the heart ailment at birth.

Nico was diagnosed in 2016, at discharge at Richmond University Medical Center, when the nurse had his pulse checked and detected it was alarmingly low. From RUMC, the boy was transferred to NYU, where he stayed in CCVCU for a couple of weeks.

When he was five days old, Nico had his first surgery for a Blacklock-Taussig or BT shunt placement in his heart. He was then very closely monitored for several months until his next operation in December 2016 came to identify a plan for the upcoming heart surgery.

Following the said operation, Nico's next was in February 2017, when the doctors put in a pulmonary conduit which was then followed by other surgeries in 2017, 2019, and this year in March and June. Tomorrow's operation will be the replacement of the pulmonary conduit placed in 2017.

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