72°
While most teens mark the milestone with graduation parties and trips to the beach, Schulte is preparing for major chest surgery just inches from his heart, scheduled for next month.
His condition is real. His recovery will be long. And his story — thanks to a devoted Maryland community — is now anything but quiet.
Schulte has Pectus Excavatum — also known as funnel chest — a severe malformation of the chest wall that has displaced his heart into his left lung, according to a family friend.
Over the past year and a half, his ability to breathe, sleep, and even finish his high school baseball season have deteriorated, organizers of a GoFundMe set up for the family said.
A routine sprint in the outfield would leave him doubled over and gasping for air. His body startles awake at night as his brain panics from oxygen loss.
Despite this, Schulte finished his senior year strong and was accepted to Virginia Tech, where he plans to study engineering.
His parents, Andrea and Brendan Schulte, have spent decades as educators in Queen Anne’s County.
Andrea Schulte is a former Queen Anne’s County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Brendan Schulte once led the Kent Island High School varsity baseball team.
"You may have seen them laying wreaths, organizing collections for children in foster care, as coaches and members of the unified weightlifting team..." loved ones said. But did you know that Gavin has been suffering a silent health battle for many years?"
Together, they’ve served hundreds of students. Now, they’re leaning on that same community to help their son.
“The last 24 hours has been nothing short of amazing,” Andrea Schulte wrote on Facebook.
“I am left humbled and in tears. Asking for help is one of the hardest things — and Brendan and I will never ever be able to thank Marlo and our community enough for rallying around our family to help Gavin.”
The GoFundMe, organized by family friend Marlo Coppage, raised nearly $25,000 in just a few days.
The money will help cover the $20,000 surgery, which insurance denied — despite support from seven specialists and a Haller index — which measures the chest wall deformity — of 5.7 (anything above 3.5 is considered severe).
It will also help with travel, food, lodging, and medical equipment as Schulte recovers.
“Gavin's heart is currently displaced by a chest wall malformation, and the insurance company is refusing to pay for the procedure,” Coppage wrote.
“If you are able to donate ANYTHING please do. If you can't, please share the GoFundMe to get his story out there so his teacher parents don't have to ‘find’ $20,000 to improve his quality of life.”
Schulte's surgery will take place in Paramus, New Jersey, performed by a top surgeon trained under Dr. Donald Nuss, the inventor of the procedure.
Nuss, who developed the minimally invasive procedure — now known in his name — was honored in 2022 with the highest surgery award given by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Before his advancements, anyone suffering from the deformity had to endure a more invasive surgery that involved fracturing the ribs and sternum of patients.
Now, doctors only require small incisions to the chest.
It was developed at the Children's Hospital of The Kind's Daughters in Virginia.
This surgeon has developed an even less invasive pain protocol that avoids damaging healthy tissue — a major reason the Schultes chose him.
He even scheduled all of Schulte's specialist appointments in a single 24-hour window in New Jersey so he wouldn’t miss school or baseball.
"He's been amazingly supportive, flexible and kind," the GoFundMe organizer wrote. "He's simply a passionate master of this specialty and he makes Gavin comfortable like no one else has.
"He has invented a far less invasive pain management protocol with outstanding success rates, far exceeding the norm, which regional hospitals still have not yet adopted due to the surgical time investment."
That day included appointments with a:
- Cardiologist;
- Pulmonologist;
- Allergist;
- Optometrist;
- Radiologist for MRI;
- Stress test at Valley Hospital;
- Surgical consultation and bar measurement.
According to Coppage, Schulte “made friends with the nurses” while there — just one sign of the kind of person he is.
He’s also created “Foster the Love,” a campaign to deliver bags of essentials to kids in foster care, and has volunteered with Thanksgiving food drives and Wreaths Across America.
“All of the love and care he has put out in the world, deserves some to come back to him in his time of need,” Coppage wrote.
Even as he faces weeks of recovery in a hospital far from home, Schulte continues to work out daily to maintain cardiovascular health — despite knowing he won't be able to work much this summer or enjoy a traditional “senior summer” before heading off to college.
“Gavin isn't going to be able to work very much this summer,” Coppage said. “Wouldn't it be nice to send him to VT without that financial stress?”
The GoFundMe can be found here.
“Gavin Schulte is 18 today,” Coppage wrote.
“In a few short weeks he will be having MAJOR surgery inches from his heart… Let’s give them a little cushion.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mechanicsville and receive free news updates.
