Assist Akilah's Family with Medical Expenses

Hi, Friends!

We are The Robertson family, Steven and Stellah Robertson. Last year on December 16, 2022 we welcomed our beautiful little girl Akilah Camille, our first born child.

She was born with a rare complex heart condition called HLHS, Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (Half of a heart), along with other unusual complications: IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction; Small For Gestational Age) dysplastic pulmonary valve (Slow blood flow to lungs due to narrowed valves). She was fairly underweight for 37 weeks gestation at 4lbs 10 ounces. As a result, she wasn't a typical candidate for the standard three-step surgeries repairs for severe heart condition, HLHS.

After a week of birth, we were airlifted from Dallas to Houston's Texas Childrens Hospital, in the anticipation that she will require a heart transplant.

Soon after, Dr's conducted genetic testing, and regrettably we learned that in addition to her HLHS, she was born with a liver illness called Alagille syndrome. With this diagnosis, she is ranked third in the world and has no available treatments. We requested a second opinion from Boston, Philadelphia, and Cooks Children's Hospital in Dallas, but all 3 would not accept her case. Instead, each recommended comfort care and hospice care because there are currently no treatments or surgeries available to us due to a lack of precedence and intricacy.

Unfortunately, Akilah has already undergone two open heart surgeries, two other procedures, about seven codes, plus three cardiac arrests. One happened on May 16, 2023 a day after discharge. We had to administer CPR and rush her to the ER where we learned that she was critically ill and might pass away in the coming weeks or days.

Despite this, we are steadfast in our belief that she will survive because she has already defied the odds by staying alive and improving despite receiving a lot of intensive care and treatments at the moment. We believe that where there is life, there is hope!

We have been in-patient since birth (175 days, or 6 months) and haven’t been able to take our baby home. Steven is currently the only one working, 7 days a week with long hours and travels to Houston when he can. This has been difficult as I am temporarily staying at The Ronald McDonald House in Houston. We own a home in Fort Worth that we are currently trying to sell as the uncovered medical expenses are beginning to build up because of Akilah's intense care and Steven's traveling back and forth to Houston has made this journey more challenging and complicated.

Due to the situation, I am unable to work and have been unable to do so since September 2022. The loss of my income has been difficult, putting a strain on our finances along with the additional expenses from Akilah’s care.

We have applied for financial aid through various programs, spending hours on extensive forms and discussions only to be informed we don't qualify.

We ask you to pray for us first and foremost:

For God to completely cure Akilah's heart, liver, lungs, valves, brain, and overall growth so that she can outlive the prognosis and live a long life with us.

As we struggle on, pray that this trial will honor God, bring us closer to Him, and that we would be a light to others. Pray that through her, a breakthrough will occur that will benefit infants all over the world and in the future. We hope that you will heed the call if the Lord has placed it on your heart to support us financially. ANYTHING is helpful and appreciated.

God bless you!