Irving is a cheerful young man who has crammed a whole lot of living into just 12 years. He’s a talented artist and an accomplished musician who plays guitar and accordion. He loves to listen to music, and when he can he loves to play basketball.

That’s been more difficult lately due to his condition—Irving was born with a rare and complex heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. That means the left side of his heart is severely underdeveloped, requiring the right side to do all the work. As a result, Irving has undergone five open-heart surgeries over the years.

A Love of Travel

Irving makes the most of every single day with characteristic optimism and enthusiasm. He loves traveling to sunny destinations, so he and his family have already made special trips to Disneyland, LEGOLAND, and Mexico.

“We want to do as many fun things [as] we can with Irving, but he requires oxygen to travel, and it gets expensive,” explained his mom, Alma. CCA’s Link program has stepped in to help cover some of the costs so that Irving can keep crossing more things off his wish list.

The Nicest Brother

Whatever the future holds for this good-natured guy, he’ll face it with the deep love of his family, especially little brothers Andy and Roberto. Both look up to Irving and say he is truly their hero. “He’s the nicest brother, and he’s so brave,” said Andy. Roberto agreed. “He’s always happy and cheery, and he never complains – even when he’s getting all his shots.”