My name is Jennifer Diaz… and I’m writing this with the heaviest heart a mother could carry. My daughter, Alina Rose Diaz, is only 2 years old—and she’s facing a fight no child should ever have to endure. On March 6th, 2025, we brought her to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital in the Hamptons after we noticed her struggling to breathe, her lips turning blue, and her energy fading more each day. Within hours, she was transferred via emergency ambulance to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in East Setauket, where a pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Elizabeth Reilly, delivered the news that shattered my world: Alina was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)—a rare and life-threatening form of congenital heart disease (CHD) where the entire left side of her heart didn’t develop properly. She has been surviving with minimal oxygen in her blood… but now, her body can’t keep up anymore. Without urgent surgical intervention, her tiny heart will fail. So far, she has undergone two surgeries: • The Norwood procedure on March 18, 2025, performed by Dr. Matthew Weiss, chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at Stony Brook Children’s. • The Glenn procedure on July 1, 2025, during an emergency return admission when her oxygen levels dipped below 70%. Now, the clock is ticking toward the final and most critical step: the Fontan procedure, scheduled for May 30, 2025, at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. This surgery is her only chance to stabilize blood flow and extend her life beyond toddlerhood. But we are facing a mountain that I can’t climb alone: The total cost is $120,000. This includes: • $78,000 for the Fontan surgery itself. • $10,000 for pre-surgical hospitalization and post-op cardiac ICU monitoring. • $8,000 for specialized cardiac rehab and home oxygen therapy not covered under insurance. • $6,500 in travel and relocation expenses so we can stay in family housing on-site during her recovery. • $7,500 in prior medical bills from uncovered anesthesia, imaging, and air ambulance fees during her Glenn emergency. I’m a single mom. I’ve reached out to New York State CHD support programs, appealed to Medicaid, and applied for help through Stony Brook’s Family Resource Center—but we’re still far short of what we need. Alina is such a bright spirit. She clings to her stuffed bunny “Mr. Hops,” watches “Baby Shark” every morning, and dances around the living room with joy that makes you forget she’s got a broken heart. She deserves to grow up. She deserves a future. We’ve launched a GoFundMe called “Alina’s Heart: One Last Surgery to Save Her Life” and are praying for a miracle through the kindness of strangers. Every dollar brings us closer. Every share brings in hope. If you want to verify her care, Alina is registered under Patient ID #SBCH-Alina0525 with Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Pediatric Cardiology. You can also contact Dr. Reilly’s office at the hospital for direct confirmation (with appropriate medical privacy clearance). Please—help us. We are running out of time. From one mother’s heart to yours, Jennifer Diaz