Help Adali Get the Heart She Needs

Hi, we are the Rodriguez family—Homero and Ellie, parents to five children. One of our youngest daughters, Adali Summer Rodriguez, has spent nearly her entire life fighting battles no child should ever have to face.

Adali was born a healthy, happy baby with a bright smile that lit up every room. But before she was even two years old, that joy was overshadowed by something we never imagined.

At just 18 months old, Adali began having fevers and weakness in her leg. She struggled to walk and often limped. After multiple emergency room visits, we were told it was likely just an injury. When things didn’t improve, blood work was ordered—and our lives changed forever.

On December 14, 2015, we were told our baby had acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

She was immediately admitted to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando and began chemotherapy. Watching our toddler endure months of painful treatments was heartbreaking. Despite everything she went through, the cancer returned. Adali needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.

That fight took us far from home to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During that time, we had to leave our jobs to be by her side. We were scared, exhausted, and financially overwhelmed—but thanks to incredible doctors, nurses, and generous charities, Adali survived. Her transplant was successful, and we finally brought our little girl home.

We thought the worst was behind us.

But in 2019, Adali began having seizures. She was diagnosed with epilepsy, adding another daily challenge to her young life. Even then, she stayed strong, smiling through hospital visits and medications most adults would struggle to endure.

In 2023, everything changed again.

Adali began losing weight, barely eating, and becoming constantly exhausted. A cough developed and worsened until she began coughing up blood. After countless ER visits and hospital stays, doctors finally found the cause—her heart had been permanently damaged by the chemotherapy that once saved her life.

In October 2023, Adali was diagnosed with heart failure.

Since then, hospitalizations have become a regular part of our lives—sometimes twice a month. Her immune system is weak, her body is tired, and our hearts break watching her struggle to do things other children take for granted.

In July 2024, a cardiac catheterization confirmed what we feared most: Adali needs a heart transplant to survive. Once again, we were referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for evaluation. Shortly after returning home, Adali was hospitalized again, this time suffering dehydration that caused minor kidney damage.

Emotionally, physically, and financially, we are exhausted—but we are not giving up.

Between missed work, medical bills, travel costs, and ongoing care, the financial strain has become overwhelming. Every day is focused on keeping Adali healthy enough to receive the transplant that could save her life.

Adali is only a child—but she is the strongest person we know. She has faced leukemia, a bone marrow transplant, epilepsy, and now heart failure. And still, she smiles. She laughs. She finds joy in the smallest moments and reminds us every day what true strength looks like.

We are asking for help so we can focus on what matters most: being there for our daughter and giving her the chance to live a full, healthy life.

Any donation—no matter the size—helps cover medical expenses, travel for transplant care, and basic living costs during this impossible time. If you’re unable to donate, sharing our story means more than you know.

Thank you for taking the time to read Adali’s story, for your kindness, and for giving our little girl hope. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

—The Rodriguez Family ❤️