Bubba

Jerelias “Bubba” Jaramillo was born on April 15th, 2013, with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. He had his first open-heart surgery, the Norwood procedure, at 2 days old. That was followed by the Glen procedure at 6 months old, and the Fontan procedure when he was 2 and a half years old. 

After the Fontan, Bubba developed Plastic Bronchitis, a severe pulmonary condition. For several years, the heart repairs were holding up while he mainly battled the PB. In the fall of 2023, doctors attempted to repair the issues. However, Bubba’s lung collapsed on two separate occasions, leaving them with no clear path to repair. 

In May of 2024, Bubba wasn’t feeling well and noticed some swelling in his ankles. The heart repairs were failing, and he was going to need a heart transplant. The process was started to get him placed on the transplant list, and Bubba’s health began declining quickly. Within 2 months, he was bumped to 1A on the transplant list and received his new heart on July 15th, 2024. 

After the transplant, Bubba experienced several complications due to the Plastic Bronchitis, as well as rejection two times. He has atrial flutter, so he has a pacemaker. Also, he has been diagnosed with medicine-induced diabetes. Recently, the doctors discovered an aneurysm on the aorta. In September 2025, Bubba underwent a procedure to attempt to repair this, and so far, so good! 

– As told by Bubba’s Mom