My name is Sally Segura. As many of you know, Juan & I’s daughter Natalii welcomed her beautiful baby girl, Amelia, on November 18th, 2025. What started as one of the happiest times in our lives quickly became an unexpected and heartbreaking journey.

     Shortly after her birth, Amelia was admitted to the NICU in Salem OR. On November 21st, she was then transferred to the OHSU NICU to get specialized care for a airway obstruction and other unknown complications. Our girl has remained here at OHSU NICU ever since fighting day by day. For the past three months, my daughter and I have been right beside Amelia every single day, watching her fight with incredible strength. My husband Juan, Amelias aunts, uncles grandparents and family friend have also come up to support our sweet girl. There were moments when she struggled just to breathe, and it was terrifying to witness. Due to Amelia not being able to fully breathe on her own or with the help of CPAP or high flow air she ultimately underwent surgery to receive a tracheostomy to secure her airway and help her breathe safely. Because of the trach, she also has a feeding tube to ensure she receives the nutrition she needs while her tiny body continues to grow and heal.

     While this has been an incredibly difficult step, the tracheostomy is also a step in the right direction for Amelia. We do not know how long she will need to have the trach, but it is helping give her the stability she needs to grow stronger. Every day, she continues to show us just how resilient she is. She has now been doing “sprints” for over 6 hours at a time, twice daily. During these sprints, Amelia breathes fully on her own without the support of a ventilator. Every additional hour she completes on her own is a huge milestone and brings her one step closer to not needing a ventilator when she is finally able to come home.

     Amelia also has a condition that will require surgery to repair fused sutures in her cranium. Once she gets a bit older. But that would need to occur at a specialized hospital outside of OHSU.

     The staff at OHSU have been nothing short of amazing. Their knowledge, compassion, and dedication have helped carry us through this unimaginable time. They have also been patiently teaching us how to properly care for Amelia, preparing us for the day we can bring her home and safely manage her medical needs. We are incredibly grateful for the care they have given not only to Amelia, but to our entire family.

     For the past three months, I have been without pay so I could remain by my daughter Natalii and granddaughter Amelia’s side and support them both through this journey. We have tried to navigate FMLA, but my requests have been denied twice, and we are still waiting to hear back from Oregon Paid Leave. This has placed an overwhelming financial burden on Juan, who is currently the only source of income supporting our household.

     We do not know exactly how much longer Amelia will need to remain hospitalized. Her journey is still uncertain, and she will continue to need specialized medical care and equipment. Our daughter Natalii is still in school, and we are the sole providers helping her care for her newborn daughter with complex medical needs.

     This has been one of the hardest and most emotional seasons of our lives. We have given everything we can to be there for Amelia and support our daughter, but the financial strain is becoming overwhelming. We are humbly asking for help during this incredibly difficult time so we can continue to focus on Amelia’s healing and bringing her home safely.

     We are deeply grateful for every prayer, every message, and every act of kindness we have received. Your love and support have given us strength when we needed it most and reminded us that we are not alone.

     Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

With love and gratitude,

Sally, Juan, Natalii and Amelia Segura