SUPER SAM
A pre-K student who spent the first three months of his life in a hospital will once again join his family in raising funds for Boston Children’s Heart Research Foundation.
Samuel Guinn, 4, the son of Grant and Jennifer Guinn of Jennings, was born with a complex congenital heart condition in 2014. He was diagnosed with several issues, including dextrotransposition of the great arteries, a birth defect of the heart in which the two main arteries carrying blood out of the heart are switched in position; double outlet right ventricle, which occurs when both major arteries are connected to the right ventricle; large ventricular septal defect (VSD), a defect in the wall that divides the left and right ventricles of the heart; pulmonary stenosis, a thickened or fused heart valve that does not fully open; a narrow left ventricle; a hypertrophic ventricle, which occurs when the walls of a lower chamber of the heart thicken; an a rare malformation usually associated with VSD, straddling mitral valve.
At 11 months, Samuel underwent an open heart procedure at Boston Children’s Hospital, though that was not at all the end of his medical journey. However, Samuel is thriving today, said his mother Jennifer, but he will never be completely cured of all of his heart issues. For the Guinns, this is why they believe cardiac research is necessary to the future of so many children.
“That’s why we started doing Super Sam’s Lemonade Stand four years ago, to help bring more attention and financial support to cardiac research,” Jennifer said.
By hosting a curbside fundraiser that sees Samuel and his family selling lemonade and homemade goodies, the Guinns with the support of the public have been able to give just under $4,200 to the Boston Children’s Heart Research Foundation.
This year’s fundraiser will be hosted from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at 515 13th Street in Jennings. There will be homemade and strawberry lemonade for $1, banana bread for $1-$5, depending on the loaf size, 50-cent brownies and cookies, hard rock suckers for a $1 and paracord bracelets.
The bracelets are actually being donated by Samuel’s big sister McKenzie, 12.
“She has her own little business making bath bombs and paracord bracelets, and she uses to the money she makes to buy her own supplies,” Jennifer said. “She told me she wanted to donate bracelets for the fundraiser. She used her own money to do this.”
Those who wish to donate but are unable to make it to the lemonade stand can make online contributions. Donors can visit the Samuel Jude #supersamuel page on Facebook that contains a link to the family’s official Boston Hospital fundraising page. Those donating via check should make them payable to Boston Children’s Hospital for tax-related purposes, with “Super Sam’s Lemonade Stand” written on the memo line.