Our beautiful baby girl, Elliana Skye Perry (Ella), tragically lost her battle with congenital heart disease on Saturday July 13, 2024 1:47pm. She underwent, yet another, open heart surgery to replace her stents, which was necessary as she continued to get bigger and stronger. Complications occurred which caused a six hour surgery, take ten hours. All while being on cardiopulmonary bypass. Doctors believe her small body just couldn’t take anymore and began failing. She was surrounded by those who loved her the most until the very end. Words could not explain the pain and sorrow this loss has caused our family. She will be missed dearly and will always be remembered by her innocent smile and infectious laughter. She had the kindest soul and was the strongest fighter I’ve ever seen. The love you have for your child isn’t like any other love in this world. It’s not something that can be explained, nor something you can understand exists until you feel it. She taught me that.
Elliana was born on January 25, 2022. 10:35pm. And yes, I was one of those dads who almost fainted watching this unfold. Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her throat during birth which caused the first of endless scares for her. Every second felt like an hour as nurses and doctors worked to get her breathing. She would eventually make it and be deemed healthy..
“I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, as long as the baby’s healthy…” that’s what they say. And I agreed. I would say that too. The thought never crossed my mind that she wouldn’t be healthy. All the fears, and excitement, and planning, and purchasing never could’ve been enough preparation for what was about to come. Always remember to never take that quote for granted.
I held her throughout that first night, while different nurses came in every hour to check Elliana’s vitals. One after another, they cleared her. But when the 7am nurse came for that routine check, she noticed Elliana seemed discolored. “A little bluish” she said. And just like the night before, I had to step aside and watch nurse after nurse try to figure out the issue. Her blood oxygen level was low, that was the main worry. She was rushed to the neonatal ICU where it was discovered she had heterotaxy syndrome. Her other organs formed on opposite sides, which miraculously, caused her no issues. But her heart. Her heart was full of holes and the arteries connecting to it were all in the wrong place. She was then rushed to the children’s hospital.
For the first few months of Elliana’s life, she stayed in the hospital and underwent multiple major surgeries. Once she came home, she was on countless medications and went through physical therapy. I made sure to be there through every step of the way, all while searching for another job to cover expenses.
She was put on a high calorie diet to speed up her growth so they could do one last surgery (for awhile at least), to put her on the path for a normal life. During this growing time, we were blessed with the opportunity to watch her blossom into the most perfect little human. She was beautiful, funny, thoughtful, polite, smart, and most of all, excited about life. She didn’t speak much yet, but when she did, she would light up the room. She always listened and never complained about anything. She loved going on walks and if she fell, she never cried. And she didn’t want you to feel sorry for her. She just dusted herself off and continued playing. Her favorite show was coco melon and her favorite song was baby shark, she did the dance and everything. Her loss is devastating and a complete shock to everyone. Doctors believed she would live a full life and even said she could play sports if she wanted to. But unfortunately life doesn’t always go according to plan and our baby is now our angel. She no longer has to feel pain or be in a scary hospital. She’s finally at peace. Please help me and my family provide her with the memorial she deserves and bring her to her final resting spot. The donations will be used for final medical expenses, funeral/memorial costs, and legal fees.
Organizer

Michael Perry
Organizer
Spring Valley, CA