I never imagined I would be here, asking for help like this. But I am a mother who has already lived through loss, and I am terrified of what could happen next.

Before my daughter, I lost a baby at seven months pregnant. I delivered my child knowing I would never hear a cry. I walked out of the hospital with empty arms and a grief that never leaves.

Then God gave me my rainbow baby.

But even her beginning was a fight.

She was born premature, not breathing for nearly three minutes. Those were the longest minutes of my life. I remember wondering if I was about to lose another child before I even got to hold her.

She was born with fetal hydrops — fluid in her brain and around her organs. She was born with acute kidney failure. She has coloboma of the optic nerve in both eyes. She was jaundiced, needing the blue light therapy and even a blood transfusion. She spent two long months in the NICU as a tiny premie, fighting for her life.

She left the NICU with a G-tube.

She has never taken a bottle.

She has never latched.

She has never eaten the way most babies do.

She has Down syndrome. She is non-verbal. Mentally, she is closer to 2 years old though she is almost 7.

She has survived open-heart surgery.

She has endured skull repair because her frontal bone never fully closed.

She suffered a ruptured appendix — and I watched as doctors first dismissed it as constipation. But I knew. Mommy knew. My baby was in pain, and I refused to stay silent until they finally found the infection raging inside her.

I have seen my child hooked to machines.

I have seen her swollen with fluid.

I have seen moments where it truly looked like she would not make it.

And through every hospital stay, every surgery, every terrifying diagnosis — I was there. I am her voice. I am the one who knows her cries, her sounds, her eyes. I am the one who fights when something isn’t right.

She depends on me for everything.

And now… I am the one who is sick.

I am suffering from severe tooth decay, advanced gum disease, and a spreading infection. The pain is constant. I need at least two teeth removed, several crowns, and deep gum treatment. The cost is $35,000 — money I simply do not have as her full-time caregiver.

The infection is getting worse. And untreated dental infections can turn life-threatening.

After already losing one child…

After watching this baby fight from her very first breath…

I am terrified that she could lose her mother.

She has fought too hard.

She has survived too much.

She deserves to grow up with the one person who has stood beside her every single second of her life.

I am humbling myself in a way I never have before. If you can donate anything — even $5 — it helps. If you can share our story, it helps. If you can pray, it helps.

I am not asking for anything cosmetic.

I am asking for life-saving treatment.

I am asking for the chance to stay alive for my miracle.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Thank you for seeing us. Thank you for giving a scared mother hope.

With all my heart,

Amanda