Before Ripley was even born, his parents knew he had a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot, but they didn’t expect that he’d be rushed into open heart surgery at just 30 days old. After the surgery to repair a hole between his heart’s left and right ventricles, baby Ripley needed multiple blood transfusions to recover. He stayed in the hospital for about two weeks. Ripley is now 8 years old and loves playing soccer and taking coding classes. Although he gets checkups on his heart every year, he's cleared to do all the things children his age get to enjoy. “We just came back from a trip to Maui, and Ripley did great,” said his mother, Shannon. “He tried surfing and SNUBA diving, which his cardiologist cleared him to do without concern. It is really wonderful that he is able to have a normal childhood thanks to medical technology and blood donors!” Ripley’s father, Hayes, is equally thankful for the lifesaving blood his son received. Over four years ago, he decided to ...