Help Isla O’Neill Heal Her Brave Heart

This is Isla O’Neill—a bright, kind, and deeply loved 14-year-old who is about to face the biggest challenge of her young life. Isla was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition that has required constant monitoring and quiet courage. Now, her heart has reached a point where it can no longer carry her forward—and she is preparing to receive a life-saving heart transplant.

While many teenagers are preparing for their first day of high school, Isla is preparing for major surgery. Her freshman year won’t start in a classroom—it will begin in a hospital room.

After the transplant, Isla and her mother, Andrea O’Neill, will live on hospital grounds for two months, staying close for the extensive monitoring and healing ahead. Her mom will be by her side around the clock, putting work and income on hold to be her caregiver and advocate. Isla’s father, Marcus O’Neill, though unable to take extended leave, will drive two hours each weekend to be with them, never missing a chance to love, encourage, and help his daughter through this recovery.

This journey is not Isla’s alone. She is held by the fierce love of her entire family: her parents, her devoted grandparents—Bobby White, Billie Jo Holland, and Chris Youse—and a circle of family and friends who are standing strong behind her. Her grandparents are deeply invested, offering support in every way they can to ensure Isla and her parents have what they need for this long road ahead.

We’ve created this fundraiser to help cover the overwhelming costs: medical bills, temporary housing near the hospital, gas for weekend travel, and the months of lost income while Isla’s mom steps fully into the role of caregiver.

If you know Isla, you already know: she is rare by nature. She defies the odds and lives in the space where only the top 1% of successful outcomes exist. Her quiet strength humbles us. Her kindness radiates. She is a girl who dreams in Japanese, studies the language in her spare time, and finds joy in anime, Hello Kitty, and the intricate beauty of Japanese culture. She is gentle and fierce, curious and courageous.

Her strength humbles us. Her story inspires us.

This journey won’t be easy—but Isla is not one to back down. She’s going to conquer this, just like she has conquered every challenge placed in her path.

If you feel moved to give, your donation will help Isla’s family focus on what matters most: her healing, her future, and the full, beautiful life she has ahead of her.

From the bottom of all our hearts—thank you for standing with Isla.