Bryce Louis Mongillo is an identical twin to Lucca Joseph Mongillo. From the beginning, he was a fighter. Before being born, Bryce was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, coarctation of the aorta. Defying the odds, the two boys arrived on April 28, 2017, with strong cries despite being two months premature. Bryce was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and had heart surgery at one-month-old. While the surgery fixed his congenital heart defect, Bryce was diagnosed with a rare disease shortly after. This disease, Pulmonary Vein Stenosis (PVS), affects the heart and lungs. There are very few options for children with PVS. Bryce’s parents put him on the list for a double lung transplant, but he didn’t receive his gift of life in time. Bryce passed away in May 2018, shortly after celebrating his first birthday at home with his twin brother.

Despite having such a hard life, Bryce was the sweetest little boy and remains deeply loved by his family. After he passed away, he donated his heart valves to other hopeful children. Bryce’s parents, Paul and Michelle, established a PVS research fund at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in his memory. All proceeds from Bryce’s Day at the Park will go to Bryce’s Fund as a means to honor his legacy.