Elliana was born with both NF1 and Atrial Sepal Defect in August 2020 The heart condition have made it necessary for us to travel 4-5 hours at least monthly and stay in a hotel overnight each time and of course get food on the road. Her heart condition has continued to worsen and she now has open heart surgery scheduled in early May. The surgery will require dad to miss over a week or work. There will be follow up medical trips after the surgery for the heart. We may have two to six trips or more a year for the NF1 depending on how it progresses. We are blessed in having a friend in the city where surgery is taking place that can provide housing for part of the stay. So far, we have been blessed that insurance has covered the medical expenses, but the missing work, extra travel expenses, and hotel costs are mounting.

We have also become increasingly aware that our sub-compact car is insufficient now that Elliana is in our lives. Her stroller barely wedges into the trunk and leaves no room for a bag of clothes for both mom and dad when we go on these medical trips.

We will use any money given to first pay for any hotels, gas, and travel expenses on the upcoming trip for her surgery and to offset the lost income. Secondly we will use what is left, if we reach our goal as part of a down payment on a new for us but definitely used larger car. 

The surgery is less than three weeks away and we would like to have the amount needed for any travel expenses raised by then. We would like to have the money for a car down payment raised by mid-July.