Ashlyn Machiela

Ashlyn's Story ⬅️ Link to Ashlyn's CaringBridge site Welcome to our CaringBridge site. We've created it to keep friends and family updated. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement during this time when it matters most. Ashlyn is an energetic, loving and intelligent 13 year old. She's the type of teenager who includes everyone and would give her lunch and jacket away to help someone else.  She loves school and is active in her local FFA chapter. She's into fashion, music and is a huge Harry Potter fan! (She's a Hufflepuff in case you were wondering) She underwent open heart surgery 3 years ago and has never let her heart defect slow her down. Her biggest concerns this time around are how it will affect her academics and FFA standings. She wants to run for FFA office, be part of the FFA Forestry team and show another pig at the Flagler County Fair. In March she is set to go on a school trip to Washington D.C.  These things, without surgery, will exhaust her.  The plan is to replace a valve in her heart. Three years ago they attempted to repair the valve and it isn't working out the way it was supposed to. Ashlyn is constantly tired and falling asleep every chance she gets. She pushes herself to do her chores and try to attend her summer FFA activities but it takes a toll on her. On a trip to the beach this summer she opted to sleep in the sun tent versus playing in the sun.  We had planned, as a family, to have more time before Ashlyn's surgery to get things in order. We had a year to plan for her last surgery and this time around we have 3 weeks.