Delmar’s Jack Kapczynski was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has had three surgeries in his two years of life.
His first in a series of three, staged surgeries, happened when he was just seven days old. He had his third in April, which should be his last, said his mother Rebekah.
“We should be through the worst of it.”
Jack will be the Heart Hero at the June 13 Capital Region Heart Walk. “Jack is a bright light in our life, and we want all those torches to remind people of how important the scientific advances of the American Heart Association are,” said Rebekah.
The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Founded in 1924, the organization now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters, including 156 local offices and more than 3,000 employees.
“[The American Heart Association] has been very supportive through all this,” said Kapczynski. “They’ve done a lot of the research and helped with a lot of the legislation to improve lives for kids like Jack.”
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association are devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. The two team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases.
Kapczynski said her son serves as the personification of the scientific breakthroughs led by the charitable group over the years.
“Thirty years ago,” she said, “they would have said, ‘I’m sorry. Here’s your baby. He won’t live more than a few days.’”
The Delmar family has also benefited from the support groups sponsored by the association. Groups like the Cardiac Kids networks families together. “It’s great to be around other people,” said Kapczynski. “He doesn’t really know yet, but at some point he will. He has a scar where most other kids don’t. So, it will be nice for him to know other kids that do. And, it’s nice for me to be able to talk to other moms. … We get together and have pool parties. When you hear your kid has something like this, it’s very devastating. To be able to talk to someone who has gone through it, and seem doable, it’s very important.”
Last Wednesday, the Kapczynskis were among similar families, as they gathered at the Peter Kiernan Plaza for the third annual American Heart Association Torch Ceremony. Each shared their stories as the association prepares for the 2015 Heart Walk on Saturday, June 13.
“The torch ceremony gives us a chance to gather in advance of the Heart Walk and think about why we participate in the Heart Walk,” said Ray Rudolph, executive chairman of CHA, and volunteer chair of the Capital Region Heart Walk. “My torch honors my father, who never got to spend time with his grandchildren.”
Ray Rudolph’s father was 52 when he died of heart disease. Brock Tuczynski died of hypertrophic cardiomyapathy when he was only 31 years old. His daughter was 2 and his son wasn’t yet born.
“My brother Brock, aside from being the most brilliant person I know, was a dedicated husband and father,” said Reanna Martin, whose team Brock’s Big Heart participates in the Heart Walk. “Seeing his children grow and knowing he can’t be here is heartbreaking. I raise my torch so that others don’t miss out on life.”
Coroplast torches will be available at the June 13 Capital Region Heart Walk, taking place at the Empire State Plaza this year. Participants can decorate them in honor of a lost loved one.
The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The American Stroke Association is a division of the American Heart Association. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.
The Capital Region Heart Walk is set for Saturday, June 13, at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the 1- or 3-mile walk steps off at 10 a.m.
There will be breakfast, health screenings, health information, a Kids Zone, a tribute to survivors, and the walk itself. Bill Fox of B95.5 and Cody Holyoke of CBS6 will co-emcee the Heart Walk.
The Mike Gilman Dance Show will provide music. For information, go to CapitalRegionHeartWalk.org.
