I’d like to spread the word about much-needed help for little AnnaSophia. She has had her heart transplant, and some wonderful people in our area are helping out. I know what it is like to have the medical bills soar, and for a community to come together and help – and so I would like to plead with you all in the area to pass the word around and reach out to this precious family.

Local merchants, friends pitch in to help heart-transplant baby

Small business owners John Leavitt of Sports Clips and Doug Howell of Smoothie King have teamed up to help a Falcon baby born with severe heart defects. The two are hosting fundraisers in August at their businesses (details below) to benefit the Family Fund for AnnaSophia Berry.

AnnaSophia Berry was born Dec. 31, 2007 with misaligned arteries and a hole in her heart. When several open-heart surgeries failed to correct the problems and her heart eventually began to fail, doctors put her on the heart transpant list. She received her new heart July 12.

Her parents and two older siblings have had to temporarily relocate to the Ronald McDonald House near the Children’s Hospital in Aurora to be close to the hospital for emergency visits and check-ups, while her father attempts to continue working at his job in Colorado Springs.

Fundraisers for the family’s medical expenses and related costs are as follows:

Sunday, Aug. 10: Smoothie King, 9275 N. Union (at Briargate Parkway), will donate 30 percent of the day’s proceeds to the fund.

All Saturdays in August: Sport Clips, 3736 Bloomington St. (Powers Boulevard and N. Carefree Circle), will donate $5 from each MVP haircut service to the fund.
The fundraisers are organized by a group of friends who seek to support the Berry Family.

NOTE: More information about AnnaSophia and the Berry Family is posted at www.ourannasophia.blogspot.com.