This story was featured on WFSB Channel 3 1-26-10...   

A New London man is in the middle of a battle to survive. The 31-year-old father is in desperate need of a new heart but he and his wife are having to fight the economy along with his medical problems. 

Ricardo Santiago beat leukemia growing up but he said the medications took a toll on his heart. He had to stop working and his wife Jennifer lost her job when a local store closed last year.  Today, the high school sweethearts focus full time on getting Ricardo ready for major surgery and raising of their son Aries.

Ricardo is looking forward to the day he can take Aries swimming with a new transplanted heart. Right now, his heart can only work with the aid of machines.  Ricardo said, "It's really hard to go around the house with it because you feel like you're attached to an extension cord." 

Ricardo said he was strong and healthy and working until a year ago. He had some back pain that revealed a blood clot had traveled from his deteriorating heart, caused he said by the medications used to help him beat leukemia growing up.  Jennifer said, "We are fortunate enough with him being on this heart pump where he is healthy enough to be home. We've had out stays in the hospital frequently."

Ricardo gets weekly visits by nurses from Lawrence and Memorial Hospital to draw blood.  Jennifer said, "We've been married since 2005 and have been high school sweethearts."

After losing her job to economic cutbacks, Jennifer works full-time caring for her husband and their son; campaigning to raise money for a new heart.  Canisters are in various local shops and stores as they raise the out of pocket costs it will take when the new heart comes.   Jennifer said, "I'd do anything for him. He's my husband and the father of my child and I'm going to do anything I can to see to it that he's healthy."

When they do get the call, they will go to Tufts in Boston.