Her name was Vasilisa. My son’s daughter, my beautiful granddaughter. She went to be with the Lord in heaven on December 4. She was just four months old when she left us. She was born with a devastating chromosomal abnormality called trisomy 18. There are three classifications of this disease, and she had the worst type. Most babies die before entering the world. If Mom does deliver, they die shortly after birth, between one to 14 days. Vasilisa lived four months. I have been in medicine all my life, and I have never seen a baby that wanted to live so much. She had heart, lung, structural deformities, and vascular disease. She was intubated her entire life. She had the resolve of a titan; she would overcome problems that I thought would take her life that minute. She fought so hard and overcame the impossible. She had multiple tension pneumothorax, heart irregularities, acidosis, increasing CO2 levels, and not to mention CPR twice for four minutes each. But on December 4, her little angelic body couldn’t fight anymore. Then the good Lord brought her to heaven to be in His arms with a new body and a new pair of wings.

My son was in the room every day for four months. I would travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to visit her. I would talk to her, and she would turn her eyes and look at me. You could see her face grimace; that is when you knew she wanted to cry but couldn’t because she was intubated. After she passed, my son sent me a picture of her lying on his chest. You could see her profile and her little hand on Daddy’s chest, and she looked so incredibly peaceful and beautiful, like a tiny sleeping beauty. This was the first time that she was able to act like a baby by laying on his chest, resting, and looking so peaceful and not tethered to chest tubes and all other types of tubes coming out of her body. That is when I was overcome with grief. It seems so unfair, but I know we’re not guaranteed anything in life.

I’m asking my friends to help with burial costs that are approximately $9,000, and that is with her coffin. Nowadays, you’re paying for the land, and that’s what really costs the most. That cost is without a headstone but a little plate on the ground, which I plan to get for her at a later date. My son and his wife make very little money, but I’m trying to help as well. I am trying to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of her burial. My friends, if you can, I would appreciate it so much if you could give whatever you can. My gratitude will be never-ending. If you can’t, please say a prayer for her and God’s newest little angel. Thank you so much…..Michael