When Candie Starosto was pregnant with her first child, she went for a routine sonogram and received some unexpected news. What she found out was that her unborn son had a severe heart defect. Jake Starosto was born Sept. 21, 2009, and just two days later had his first heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.
Jake will turn 5 this fall and is a happy, smart and energetic child. He will need more surgeries in the future. For now, the Starosto family — Bryan, Candie, Jake and sister, Kate — have been putting their energy into funding the heart research that could help benefit Jake and others like him some day.
The Starostos started Team Jake to benefit the American Heart Association’s Cleveland Heart Walk. So far, they’ve raised $8,000 for the 2014 Heart Walk.
“We love Jake and are completely floored, every day, by the strength and joy for life he exhibits,” Bryan Starosto says. “We are proud of our son and want to share his success story and what these dollars really can do.”
You can join Team Jake, along with other teams at the Cleveland Heart Walk, starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Voinovich Park, 800 E. 9th St., Visit heart.org/ClevelandWalk.
