Caleb Greenberg wore the perfect Halloween costume on Sunday, because all he wants to do is watch over his three-year-old brother.
His brother, Gabe, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at birth. The American Heart Association says it happens to one in 100 infants. The Trunk or Treat event on Sunday is designed to make kids like him feel like one in a million.
“These are all children who were born with heart defects, most of whom had open heart surgery at Albany Medical Center. But you look around and you see how well they’re all doing,” said Eric Spooner, Pediatric Cardiologists.
From painting pumpkins to picking out candy, the children on Sunday were just kids being kids. The space also provided camaraderie for the parents.
"A lot of the parents have the same stories, and it’s just a chance to get together a few times a year and breathe,” said parent Jennifer Corcoran.
“It’s so nice to have a system of other support families and have our kid around other kids with heart issues,” said parent Melissa Greenberg.
The Cardiac Kids 518 group connects more than 90 local families, giving them hope for the future.
"[We're] watching them grow from babies to little boys and little girls, and now we have some cardiac kids that are teenagers and they are all living healthy lives, and [most importantly], they are all living," Corcoran said.