My name is Makena and I have started this campaign for my good friend, Anna, during one of the hardest times of her life. I am actually the one in the photo holding Anna’s sweet little babe.
Anna is a devoted single mom to three children, including her infant son, Henry. From the moment Henry was born, his life has been marked by constant hospital stays, specialists, and medical uncertainty. He has recently been diagnosed with metabolic myocardial syndrome, a rare and serious condition affecting his heart and metabolism.
Anna is an incredible mother, advocate, and friend. She is the kind of person to give you the shirt off her back. She fights hard for her children but does so with a smile and amazing attitude. Her world is falling apart but she will stop to ask you how your life is going and that cough is treating you. Her soul is filled with kindness and love. Her faith is strong and carries her far, but she cannot do it on her own.
Henry began his life as an emergency C section and an extended stay in the NICU with lots of questions and uncertainty. Since then, he has spent nearly all his life in and out of the hospital. Because of this, Anna has had to take significant time away from work to be by his side—advocating for him, caring for him, and doing everything a mother can do when her child is fighting for his life.
Doctors have shared that many children with Henry’s diagnosis do not make it this far, which makes every day with him both precious and incredibly difficult. While Anna is working to get connected with charities, disability support, and resources for medically fragile children, those processes take time—time they don’t have when rent, utilities, and everyday bills are already falling behind. In addition, Henry’s team has shared with Anna that his condition is particularly severe and worsens significantly when he is sick. In order for Anna to work, Henry goes to childcare. With this new information, Anna has to figure out a way to keep Henry out of childcare and away from spreading illnesses while also paying the bills. As a single mother, her income is what supports them entirely.
Right now, Anna needs help covering:
- Rent, car payments, car insurance, and the older kids childcare costs
- Ongoing living expenses while missing work for Henry’s care
- Basic necessities for her three young children during this crisis
This fundraiser is meant to give Anna some breathing room—to keep the lights on, the bills paid, and her focus where it needs to be: on Henry and her children. Our goal is to raise enough money to pay all of their bills for three months while Anna gets her new situation figured out. No mother should have to choose between the health of her infant or putting food on the table for her other children.
If you’re able to donate, share, or keep this family in your prayers, it would mean more than words can express. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps Anna continue showing up for her kids during the hardest season of her life.
Thank you for supporting Anna, Henry, and their family with compassion and love.