On January 31st, our family’s world was shaken to its core. My precious three-year-old grandson, Diego, suffered a sudden and catastrophic neurological emergency that no child should ever endure.

He began complaining of severe head pain and then started forcefully vomiting. Within a short time, he became unresponsive. Watching my daughter, Kayla Guzman, and her husband, Victor Guzman, rush him to the emergency room was one of the most terrifying moments of our lives. No parent or grandparent is ever prepared to hear the words that followed.

An urgent CT scan revealed a large brain bleed. Diego was immediately admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where doctors worked around the clock to stabilize him. Further testing — including a cerebral angiogram and multiple MRI scans — revealed the cause: a ruptured, complex, rare arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his occipital lobe. An AVM is a congenital tangle of fragile blood vessels that can rupture without warning. In Diego’s case, it caused a hemorrhagic stroke — an exceptionally rare and life-threatening event in a child so young.

Diego is sensitive, loving, resilient, and determined. He has a heart full of care for others, shows deep empathy even at three years old, and approaches every challenge with quiet courage. Even in the hospital, between tests and monitoring, his strength and spirit shine through. He is a little boy full of love and determination — facing a fight no child should ever have to face.

After six long days in the ICU, Diego stabilized enough to come home while we await definitive surgery. But this waiting period is filled with fear. The AVM remains, and until it is surgically removed, there is an unpredictable risk of another devastating bleed. We are living day by day, praying we reach surgery safely.

Because pediatric AVMs — especially complex and rare ones in this area of the brain — are exceptionally challenging, Diego’s imaging is being reviewed by highly specialized pediatric cerebrovascular neurosurgeons across the country, including experts at leading centers such as Boston Children’s Hospital. In the coming weeks, he is expected to undergo a craniotomy to remove the malformation. This delicate open brain surgery will eliminate the source of future bleeding, but because the AVM is rare and complex, the procedure carries significant risks and requires careful planning and extended recovery. He may require extended hospitalization and months of rehabilitation, including physical, occupational, and possibly vision therapy.

The financial burden has already been overwhelming for Kayla and Victor. Emergency care, ICU treatment, advanced imaging, specialist consultations, and upcoming surgery have resulted in staggering medical expenses. There will also be travel to specialized pediatric centers, lodging, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages as Kayla and Victor remain by Diego’s side.

Every donation — no matter the size — will help cover Diego’s surgery, specialized care, travel, rehabilitation, and allow his family to focus entirely on his recovery.

As a grandmother, it is heartbreaking to watch your grandchild fight for his life — and to see your own child carry such an enormous emotional and financial weight.

If you are unable to give, please consider sharing his story and keeping him in your prayers.

Diego is strong. He is brave. He is deeply loved. And we are holding onto hope that with expert care and the support of our community, he will overcome this and continue growing into the bright, joyful, determined boy we all cherish.

From a grandmother’s grateful heart, thank you for standing with our precious Diego.