Where BIG Dreams Grow

Why We Do It-

Little Ashton came into this world on the first day of a historic year. While the world was battling a devastating pandemic, Ashton was fighting his own battles…Ashton, a symbol of resilience, was born prematurely at 33 1/2 weeks old, weighing only 4 lbs. 15 oz., on January 1, 2020. He was born addicted to opiates and methamphetamines, and with a congenital heart defect called “Transposition of the Great Arteries”. Despite these challenges, he fought on. The adoptive parents, after finally being granted permission to start visiting him in the PICU after three weeks, fell instantly in love with him and spent as much time with him as allowed. The nurse told them that only two days before they came into his life, his vitals had begun significantly dropping, and they thought they were going to lose him. They said that there must have been a miracle because he was improving, though not due to any medical explanation. This improvement was on borrowed time, however. Ashton was in desperate need of open-heart surgery as his condition was one in which the artery that sends oxygen-rich blood to the body and the artery that sends oxygen-poor blood to the lungs were reversed. Being so small made him too fragile to undergo such surgery; therefore, they couldn’t perform it for five weeks after birth. To add insult to injury, the night before he was scheduled, his parents were informed that Ashton would have to wait another week as the heart surgeon became too ill to perform. Having to wait six weeks to fix his heart took its toll on Ashton. He developed lung disease due to getting too much blood in his lungs. Moreover, he developed an acute kidney injury before surgery, which prevented him from getting the complete surgery he needed the first time. Due to this, six weeks later, he had to have a second open-heart surgery and had to be intubated and on a ventilator. Ashton was finally discharged from the PICU on April 18, 2020. He was sent home on oxygen and with an NG Tube as he could not eat food on his own. He had to receive blood thinner shots twice per day to prevent additional clotting, as he had encountered while an inpatient. The doctor stated that he could not do “tummy time” for the first six months to allow enough time for his chest to heal from the open-heart surgeries. Eventually, his NG tube was replaced with a G Tube. Ashton was diagnosed with Provisional Cerebral Palsy early on. This opened services for DDD ALTCS. He was able to receive speech therapy, occupational therapy (OT), and in-home nursing, 40 hours per week. Eventually, he was able to receive attendant care, habilitation, and respite. During an OT session, parents were informed that he struggled with his fine motor skills. They stated that not being able to do tummy time contributed to this, as that position strengthens the web between the thumb and pointer finger in babies, allowing them to develop their motor skills. Ashton’s conditions led to the expansion of The Little Foundation. The owner, Paul Little, was providing services for Ashton one day when a conversation took place, leading Paul and Ashton’s parents to realize they were the perfect combination to go into business together, helping others as The Little Foundation had helped Ashton. The company grew and ultimately branched out into other opportunities, one of which is called “Little Seedz.” Ashton's story, a testament to the power of love and resilience, has inspired the work of The Little Foundation, touching the lives of many. Today, Ashton is a 5-year-old, happy, healthy, and fun-loving kid who is a beacon of light, whose smile brightens up any room. The struggles he faced coming into this world never showed on his face or in his character. He is a lover of life and people and most certainly destined to be a healer in some capacity. You will often find him looking for a band-aid to make someone feel better, whether they have a physical or emotional “boo boo.” His positive spirit is infectious, uplifting those around him. He loves God and shines His light everywhere he goes. He is kind, thoughtful, funny, loving, and charming. People often tell his parents, “This kid is going to be a future 'heartbreaker.” We like to think of him, however, as a future 'heart-fixer.”