Arabella's Heart Fund
Donation protected
Arabella was born with a severe congential heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This was something that came as a major shock to my family. But we put our boxing gloves on and got ready for the fight of our lives. Little did we know that the tiny life we were to bring to this world would be the biggest fighter we'd ever know.
Arabella was born on September 17, 2012 at 7 lbs 10 oz 21 inches long , screaming and mad. She was absolutely perfect. She was wisked away immediately to be hooked up to ivs and heart monitors. And this is how she would spend this first month of her life.
She had her first open heart surgery at 7 days old. It was called the "norwood". It was the first in a 3 step pallative surgical approach to help her survive. Between this time and 6 months old she was admitted on average of every 3 weeks to the hospital for various issues and was NG tube dependent. In February of 2013 she had her first heart catheterization. Then the day after Easter in 2013 she had her second open heart surgery. It was called "the glenn". This surgery caused a collapsed lung and paralyzed vocal cord. Which resulted in even more NG tube dependence.
During this time, Mom and Arabella's 2 big sisters lived in Dallas, Texas mostly at the Ronald Mcdonald house, while dad worked back home in Oklahoma and came on the weekends. It wasn't until after the second surgery that we were finally able to be in our own home as a family.
Not too long after that she got surgery to place a "g tube". This is a tube in her stomach that goes from the outside directly to her stomach for nutrition. She has since done pretty well with gaining weight and staying hydrated.
However, things are hard. There are hospital bills. There is a large mortage. There are cars that are forever in need of repair. And of course 3 growing children to clothe, feed and provide for. And now the mortage is approaching foreclosure.
Dad does the best he can. But dealing with family illness and cut hours at work is hard. Mom has degenerative arthritis and some autoimmune disorders and she is disabled.
We are not a family that likes to ask for help, but when we are up against a wall, we have no other choice.
So we ask now, please help us stay in our home. Arabella fought and we fought along side her so hard to get here. We fought together too hard to just lose it.
Arabella was born on September 17, 2012 at 7 lbs 10 oz 21 inches long , screaming and mad. She was absolutely perfect. She was wisked away immediately to be hooked up to ivs and heart monitors. And this is how she would spend this first month of her life.
She had her first open heart surgery at 7 days old. It was called the "norwood". It was the first in a 3 step pallative surgical approach to help her survive. Between this time and 6 months old she was admitted on average of every 3 weeks to the hospital for various issues and was NG tube dependent. In February of 2013 she had her first heart catheterization. Then the day after Easter in 2013 she had her second open heart surgery. It was called "the glenn". This surgery caused a collapsed lung and paralyzed vocal cord. Which resulted in even more NG tube dependence.
During this time, Mom and Arabella's 2 big sisters lived in Dallas, Texas mostly at the Ronald Mcdonald house, while dad worked back home in Oklahoma and came on the weekends. It wasn't until after the second surgery that we were finally able to be in our own home as a family.
Not too long after that she got surgery to place a "g tube". This is a tube in her stomach that goes from the outside directly to her stomach for nutrition. She has since done pretty well with gaining weight and staying hydrated.
However, things are hard. There are hospital bills. There is a large mortage. There are cars that are forever in need of repair. And of course 3 growing children to clothe, feed and provide for. And now the mortage is approaching foreclosure.
Dad does the best he can. But dealing with family illness and cut hours at work is hard. Mom has degenerative arthritis and some autoimmune disorders and she is disabled.
We are not a family that likes to ask for help, but when we are up against a wall, we have no other choice.
So we ask now, please help us stay in our home. Arabella fought and we fought along side her so hard to get here. We fought together too hard to just lose it.
Organizer
Nichole Blackburn-Benitez
Organizer
Norman, OK
