On December 11, our precious baby girl Bella will be undergoing heart surgery. At her two-week appointment, her doctor heard a murmur, and by the time she was two months old, we learned from the cardiologist that Bella had a moderately sized hole between the bottom chambers of her heart (a ventricular septal defect—VSD) and a smaller hole between the upper chambers (an atrial septal defect—ASD). We were told that sometimes these holes close on their own, so we began regular follow-ups to monitor her progress.

At five months, we went for Bella’s first follow-up. The holes hadn’t shrunk, but they hadn’t grown either. However, the echocardiogram showed that Bella also had mild mitral valve stenosis. The cardiologist recommended we continue to watch and return in four months. On November 5, I brought Bella in for her next appointment. Since she hadn’t shown any of the scary symptoms we were warned about, we hoped for another routine checkup. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Bella weighed just 13 lbs 10 oz, and her weight was in the less than 1 percentile. The cardiologist explained that the VSD had grown and was causing extra blood flow to her lungs, making her heart work four times as hard as it should. This was burning calories so quickly that Bella couldn’t gain weight properly. The only option now is surgery to repair the holes in her heart.

We are reaching out for help to cover Bella’s medical bills and any other needs that may arise during her recovery. We hate to ask, but times are tough. We appreciate any contribution you are able to make, and your support means the world to our family as we help Bella through this challenging time.