GREAT FALLS — The Great Falls community gathered on Sunday afternoon for a fundraiser hosted for Faye Rowe, a 3-year-old who was diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect (ASD).
ASD occurs when there is a "hole" in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart. This defect allows oxygen-rich blood to leak into the oxygen-poor blood chambers in the heart. ASD is a defect in the septum between the heart's two upper chambers (atria). The septum is a wall that separates the heart's left and right sides.
"We didn't notice it until she was 10 months old when she got really sick. They heard a heart murmur, so we went to see the cardiologist and he said that it's just an extra hole," Faye's mother April Rowe explained. "It typically closes on its own. In her case, it has not, and it has gotten bigger. So now they have to go through with a heart catheter and close it, and if that doesn't work, then it's open heart."
When asked how they've been able to cope with the situation, she continued, "we're just taking it one day at a time, just letting her know that everything is going to be okay."
Donation after donation continued to pour in throughout the duration of the fundraiser. While individuals did their part, one, in particular, played a major role — Kosmic Radio happily donated three to five karaokes during the fundraiser while DJ'ing the event.
"I'm big into kids, and my boss asked me if I wanted to do any kind of DJ'ing for this or give up any time. I jumped right on it. I love kids, I've always loved kids, and I love my job, so being able to do something like this to help out makes it even better," Kosmic Radio Entertainment DJ Brandon Holman stated.
April expressed her gratitude for the donations that she has received for her daughter, "we're very grateful for all the donations that we have got. We're very thankful that the community has come together to get her the money to take her to Seattle."
A GoFundMe Page has been set up with the goal of reaching $3,000; click here if you would like to donate.
