TAMPA, Fla. — A young boy has been diagnosed with a rare heart disease and needs a heart transplant.

Victor Cruz celebrated his 13th birthday on March 16th. Shortly after, he became nauseous and could not keep his food down.

“He started throwing up and couldn’t keep his food down, so his mother took him to the pediatrician and then he was sent to the hospital,” Victor’s sister Louise Cruz said. Ta.

Victor’s sister, Louise Cruz, said her brother was first admitted to St. Joseph Children’s Hospital in Tampa. She was then transferred to UF Health’s Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

“Usually we’re good at making tough situations look good, but this time it was honestly too tough,” Cruz said.

Doctors diagnosed Victor with dilated cardiomyopathy, a type of heart muscle disease.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease causes the heart chambers to become thinner, stretched, and enlarged. It becomes difficult for the heart to pump blood to other parts of the body.

Cruz said her brother will need open-heart surgery next week to install a pump to help his heart. Her brother is also on the heart transplant list, she says.

“He’s on the list, but no one knows how long it will take. We don’t know if it will take days or years to get a heart,” she said.

The community donated thousands of dollars online through a GoFundMe page. Cruz said her family is grateful for the help.

“I don’t want money to be an obstacle for us at any time, so I’m very grateful to everyone who has shared and continues to share. To my parents. , I want them to feel like they can focus solely on him the whole time we’re there.” We should be able to do that,” she said.

Cruz wanted to share her family’s story since April is National Donate Life Month.

“I want everyone to at least think about what positive things they can do for other people, for their lives, for their families.”

Click here to check out Victor’s GoFundMe page.