Fresno police officer’s newborn faces open-heart surgery at Stanford

Tucker Biedermann was born Jan. 17, and by May 12 the Fresno police officer’s son is scheduled for open-heart surgery at Stanford Medical Center after a feeding problem led doctors to a far more serious diagnosis.

The baby’s first warning sign was trouble feeding. That sent the family to Valley Children’s Hospital, where doctors initially suspected a small hole in the heart. A second opinion at Stanford led to a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot, a serious congenital heart defect that affects how blood carries oxygen through the body. One report said Tucker has two heart holes measuring about 9 millimeters and 4 millimeters. Boston Children’s Hospital says the condition affects about two in 10,000 babies and usually requires surgery.

Stanford specialists have scheduled Tucker’s operation for May 12, and the family expects nearly five weeks in the hospital afterward. Stanford Medicine Children’s Health says the Betty Irene Moore Children’s Heart Center includes more than 250 pediatric cardiac specialists and nurses, and Stanford’s pediatric cardiac surgery program lists Tetralogy of Fallot among the conditions treated there by surgeon Frank Hanley. For a complex case like Tucker’s, that expertise is the reason the family is traveling out of Fresno for care.

The medical bills are only part of the burden. The family’s fundraiser through the Peace Officers Research Association of California’s Fund a Hero program is seeking $20,000 to help cover travel, medical costs and extended lodging near Stanford. A listing on the page showed $10,895 raised, leaving a significant gap while the family prepares for the surgery and recovery.

Kobe Biedermann’s job with the Fresno Police Department has helped turn Tucker’s illness into a cause that has resonated across the city. Gabriella Biedermann is related to Coach Garza, the beloved late Central High School football coach, adding another familiar Fresno name to a family already balancing a newborn’s surgery with the costs of living away from home. Kobe Biedermann said the department has been supportive and has encouraged the family to focus on Tucker, a reminder that for many Fresno families, this is not just a medical story but a test of how quickly the community can rally around one of its own.