Hi everyone. Thanks for checking out our page. Daniella, my 6-month-old daughter, was recently diagnosed with a rare condition called craniosynostosis. This was a shock to us, especially when we found out she will need to undergo surgery before the age of 1. We debated putting a GoFundMe together, but one of my good friends told me that it's okay to ask for help. And, "We do it for Dan!"

A little about our journey. Daniella has unicoronal craniosynostosis. This means one of her sutures (the soft spots on the skull that allow the brain to grow) is fused shut too early. You can see it clearly on the CT scan picture. This most likely was there at birth, or shortly after. Every doctor, midwife, pediatrician, and more missed this condition. It is rare, but not unheard of, and we are taken aback by how everyone told us our concerns about her head and eye were nothing to worry about. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset, but we luckily got her in at the University of Michigan, CS Mott Children's Hospital, and they took one look at her and knew it was craniosynostosis. We felt relieved to know what was going on, but we were aware of the need for surgery. Because it was not caught early, we missed the window for the less invasive, endoscopic surgery. They typically do this before 4 months. Because Daniella is 6 months, they recommended an open cranial vault surgery called bifrontal orbital advancement.

This is a surgery where they will have to remove and remold her eye sockets and skull to fix the deformation caused by this condition. It is necessary to allow the brain room to grow. Aly and I are keeping positive, and they assured us that all is okay. They encounter these cases regularly, and we are in great hands at CS Mott. We finally have a surgery date as well as pre and post-op appointments. Daniella will be having surgery on 1/14/26 if all stays as planned. She is a brave girl and never complains, even on a long 4-hour car trip back and forth.

She had a cool 3D scan and pictures of her rare condition. She will be monitored in the future and documented as she progresses in age for records, research, and educational resources. We hope that you are willing to help us in our journey. I know it is a big ask, and so whatever you can assist us with means the world to us. This surgery is extensive and takes a neurosurgeon, a plastic surgeon, and a team of nurses and more working together to make sure Dani has a great skull and room to grow.

Again, thanks for checking out the page. Please feel free to reach out to us, ask questions about her diagnosis, or just show your support.

Please send good vibes for Daniella! She is a craniosynostosis warrior!

Funds will be used directly for Daniella's surgery, travel to the hospital, and doctors visits.