A five-month-old boy from Puerto Rico named Noa is in need of life-saving surgery after being diagnosed with a rare disorder called Vein of Galen Malformation, or VOGM, which causes abnormalities with a particular blood vessel in the brain. This congenital malformation feeds on blood flow from the brain, which stresses the brain as well as the heart.

Most children born with VOGM don’t live long enough to have it diagnosed, with many of them dying within the first few days from heart failure. Noa, however, is considered to be one of the lucky ones diagnosed with this particular illness because his heart was able to survive the process of leaving the womb and adjusting to the regular intake of oxygen.

Noa is currently five months old and is scheduled to undergo surgery on the morning of Sep 12, according to a Facebook post from his father, Gustavo Romanach. The family is expected to incur an insurmountable amount of medical costs because Noa is being treated at Boston’s Children Hospital, a specialized center that can properly treat the infant boy.

In addition to medical expenses, the family will have to cover travel, food, and housing during their time in Boston, as well as post-op care to ensure that Noa is recovering as planned. The procedure that began this morning at 7 EST is expected to last six hours, per Romanach’s Facebook post.

To cover the costs, the family has set up a GoFundMe with a goal of $80,000 dollars. As of September 12, the family has raised just over $64,000 dollars and are expected to need the full amount requested to afford all of Noa’s care. The family even posted a YouTube video explaining what VOGMs are and how they can be treated in the event that the child, like Noa, survives long enough for it to be diagnosed.

Donations go directly to the Romanach-Arroyo family and will support them as they nurture and help Noa heal following his surgery.

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