Family members of Gerald Ladd made the somber announcement on Sunday, Jan. 27, that the 5-month-old succumbed to his ailments at Seattle Children’s.

“Our Gerald fought hard but he went home to be with Jesus today. We know we’ll see him in heaven one day,” his mother Kerry Ladd wrote on the family’s gofundme page.

“Thank you all for supporting us in this very difficult time.”

Gerald is survived by his parents and a 3-year-old sister.

The Jan. 23 story “Online campaign to help hospitalized baby” (Sequim Gazette, page A-1) went into some detail that Gerald had been in Seattle Children’s Hospital for about a month because of various ailments and complications, including a disorder that sees fats build up in his body and are unable to be removed.

His parents, Tim, a stay-at-home-dad, and Kerry Ladd, a paraeducator at Helen Haller Elementary, were pursuing an experimental treatment from St. Louis, Mo., with doctors. Originally the family would have needed to travel there for the treatment, but doctors worked to bring treatment services to Seattle.

The online gofundme campaign site remains ongoing at www.gofundme.com/prayers-for-baby-gerald, now to help offset the family’s medical costs, including hotel stays near the hospital. The campaign has raised more than $11,000 in 20 days.

Family members said Gerald will be an organ donor.

A Celebration of Life has been set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 at Eastern Hills Community Church, 91 Savannah Lane.

Family members said they feel Gerald is a true superhero for donating his heart for another child and that children that attend the service are welcome to wear their favorite superhero costumes to honor Gerald.

Editor’s note: Family members asked Gerald’s disorder not be named.

Baby Gerald Ladd of Sequim passed away on Jan. 27 after spending about a month in Seattle Children’s for a disorder that didn’t allow his body to process fats. A Celebration of Life will be announced in the near future, family-friends said. Submitted photo