Saphira’s Heart Journey: A Path to Healing

Written by her mother, Sierra — on behalf of our family

⸻

Quick Summary for Those Seeking Essentials:

Our daughter Saphira (age 7) has been diagnosed with three congenital heart defects and is undergoing surgery on June 11th.

What began as a devastating diagnosis requiring open-heart surgery has—by mercy and miracle—shifted to a less invasive procedure.

We’re raising $13,000 to help cover:

• Her medical care and healing journey

• Support for our family

Whether you’re able to donate, share, or pray—your love and support mean the world to us.

⸻

The Full Story

On June 11th, our seven-year-old daughter Saphira will undergo heart surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital.

What began as a routine heart murmur check over a year ago slowly unfolded into something more serious… and more sacred than we could have imagined.

⸻

The Diagnosis

A year and a half ago, doctors noticed what they believed to be a small hole in Saphira’s heart.

We were told to wait and see—many children’s hearts heal naturally.

But over time, we noticed significant changes:

Saphira, once adventurous and full of life, became unusually tired and frustrated on family hikes and bike rides.

We assumed it was emotional strain from recent grief and family estrangement.

Then came the sharp and persistent chest pains.

After multiple appointments and urgent imaging, we were told our daughter had been living with three congenital heart defects:

1. Coarctation of the Aorta – A life-threatening narrowing of her main artery

2. Bicuspid Aortic Valve – A malformation impacting blood flow and long-term heart function

3. Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) – A hole between the upper chambers of her heart that never closed after birth

Doctors initially recommended immediate open-heart surgery to correct the aorta.

The weight of this news was almost unbearable.

And yet…

The Miracle ️

As her mother—and the first to hear the news—I felt the ground fall out from beneath me.

Saphira—only seven years old—cried in my arms for nearly an hour at the hospital, overwhelmed and afraid.

After meeting with her dad that day, and taking her and her sisters out for lunch and ice cream as she requested, he offered to drive the girls home—

and I finally had time to let myself cry and feel what my body had been holding together to stay strong for her.

It was in the stillness and uncertainty that I felt the weight of the journey with my own heart again.

If her life were to be laid on the altar, the Lord knew I would bravely offer it.

I had already been asked to make offerings like this before and have learned to deeply trust the outcome.

Still, I pleaded for the course to be altered asking that mercy be given her, offering to take her place instead, if heaven would allow. What mother wouldn’t?

I wept—rage and sorrow pouring through me until they softened into compassion.

First for myself.

Then for my daughter.

And finally, into something deeper—

giving way to quiet surrender…

and an inner knowing that she would survive this and emerge stronger.

In this meditative stillness more sensations and memories flooded my system, my mind and body revealing what my soul had always known about her.

A deep sigh of relief washed over me as I suddenly realized just how much I could actually trust life—and the unfolding that was happening within my own heart.

I could meet this moment as I had met so many others—by accepting what was, and finding peace with what was to come.

And then—to my surprise—Heaven answered.

Not that I’m unfamiliar with answers.

They just rarely arrive in the ways I hope.

In many ways, I’ve learned to let go of expectation altogether.

Within hours, we received the call.

After reviewing her case with cardiologists across the state, the surgical team had changed their recommendation.

Saphira would no longer need open-heart surgery.

Instead, they made new plans to do a small incision in her thigh and go in with a balloon and stent to gently open the main narrowed artery.

No cutting through bone, rib separation or significant blood loss.

Just a small incision, breath, expansion, and a rod of support.

A miracle, divine provision, and ram in the thicket.

This wasn’t just a new path.

It was covenant mercy and divine reversal.

Yet another answer to the path I’ve chosen to walk for many years.

A path we all walk as our soul re-members the way home.

In the quiet of my heart, I felt God whisper:

“I have seen your faith. It is enough. I will protect her—and I will protect you.”

Sterling and I wept with gratitude.

And still, the weight of the unknown lingers.

This is another threshold—

where faith becomes more than belief.

It becomes embodied trust.

But I trust the answers I receive.

Some have been answers of death, loss, and letting go.

But this…

This was an answer of life—

of restoration, expansion, abundance,

an outpouring of blessings.

We all receive answers like these.

We all carry an inner knowing—

a sacred relationship with the Divine

that points the way, like a compass pointing true North.

We need only to re-member who we truly are before the world told us who to be—and let love guide us home again.

Saphira’s Sacred Entrance

Saphira did not come into this world easily.

She was born en caul, still wrapped in her amniotic sac. The veil burst just as she arrived—she parted it herself. lol Which is so like her.

Her older sister, only three at the time, drew a picture of a light at the top of a ladder while I birthed her in a pool of water in the next room—without ever having heard the story of Jacob’s dream—and said:

“That’s my sister coming down from heaven to be with our family.”

Of course the ladder was just an archetype but it was showing us something profound about the cosmos and where we came from.

I still have that picture.

I still remember the sacredness of Saphira’s birth and our awe as her sister told us what the drawing meant.

From the beginning, Saphira has seemed destined to be one of those brave souls walking between worlds.

For those of you who enjoy Human Design, she is our only Projector in a family of Manifesting Generators. She’s not here to do more.

She’s here to feel more deeply, to see and remember more clearly.

To hold space.

To guide from the heart.

To remind us that wisdom doesn’t come only through light—but through stillness, surrender, and the refinement of what’s hard to bear.

Our midwife told us, “A baby born en caul is protected by heaven.”

And we’ve had more reasons than these to believe her words ever since.

Who She Is

Saphira is fierce, tender, and unforgettable.

From the time she was little, she’s been the bold one—climbing anything she could get her hands on, teaching her big sister to walk fearlessly into the dark, and standing up for herself with a voice that fills the room.

She’s been dancing since she was three and swimming since she was four, and she’s hoping to return to both after her recovery.

She adores strong, independent warrior women.

She loves wolves, white owls, and spiders—symbols of family, protection, mystery, intuition, and the interconnectedness of life.

She creates beauty wherever she goes—from tea parties and charcuterie’s with her mom and sisters to fashioning her own unique outfits: tights under shorts, gypsy skirts wrapped in cloth, half gloves, and an occasional sword at her side.

She loves Harry Potter, Star Wars, Transformers, and Jurassic World.

Her room glows in dusty rose pink, periwinkle blue, maroon, and gold—filled with moons, wolves, and fairy and owl magic.

But more than anything, Saphira loves her family—especially her sisters.

Together they build forts, play ice cream shop and restaurant, ride bikes, kayak on the lake, share weekend outdoor movie nights and sleepovers, stay up late jumping on the trampoline and playing on the playground with their lanterns, and dream up adventures side by side.

She’s looking forward to 2nd grade this fall and hopes to teach her cousins and friends how to do the best one-handed cartwheels—because she’s mastered them.

Saphira is affectionate, brave, funny, creative, sensitive, and unapologetically herself.

She fights for truth.

And she never stops asking, “Why?”

We are endlessly grateful—and deeply blessed—to be her family.

Why We’re Asking for Help

For those who truly know us, you know—asking for help doesn’t come easy.

Not because we believe we don’t need it, but because we’ve always done our best to meet our needs ourselves.

Sterling and I have always worked hard to provide for our family and have only asked for financial help once—over a decade ago.

We are doing everything we can to support Saphira’s recovery and cover the growing medical expenses on our own.

But the reality is—costs are adding up quickly, even before full insurance coverage begins.

⸻

Our Goal: $13,000

Your support will help us:

• Cover Saphira’s upcoming medical expenses (estimated $8,000 before our insurance will cover the rest)

• Pay off our remaining debt from a roof we just had to replace (estimated to be around an additional $8,000), so we can take our girl on a long-promised healing trip to Disneyland with our own resources once she recovers—and hopefully before she returns to school this fall

⸻

A New Heart for All of Us

Saphira’s story is about more than a diagnosis.

It’s a spiritual invitation to receive a new heart, and we are praying for exactly that.

A heart that no longer endures pain in silence… but names what’s real for them.

A heart that opens to trust and divine will.

A heart softened by mercy for ourselves and others, rebirth, understanding, expansion, restoration, and love.

A heart of flesh, not stone. (Ezekiel 36:26)

This path has not been easy.

But it has been holy.

And this miracle—it’s now part of our family’s testimony.

Not just of what God can do—

But of who God is.

Not because we are special,

But because They keep Their promises.

⸻

Whether You Can Donate or Not…

If you’re able to give—thank you.

If you can lift Saphira in prayer—especially on June 11th—or support our family with kind words or donations in the weeks to come,

please know your gifts will be received with overflowing gratitude.

Thank you for praying with us.

For standing with Saphira.

And for believing in the unseen healing work of God and angels.

With sincerity and love,

Sterling, Sierra, & family ♥️

Saphira’s Heart Surgery Update — She’s Home & Healing! ♥️

Dear family and friends,

We’re happy to share that Saphira’s heart surgery went smoothly, and she is now back home recovering! The procedure was successful, and we only had to spend one night at Primary Children’s. The care team were absolutely incredible, and we felt held and supported throughout the entire process.

Saphira is sore and tired, but in good spirits. She’s already received a few thoughtful gifts, and your continued prayers, messages, and donations have lifted our hearts during this intense month.

There is still a healing journey ahead. Saphira continues to have two congenital heart defects that may cause future complications with her development. While that reality is heavy, we’re grateful the doctors feel confident she’ll be able to return to her usual activities within 2–4 weeks.

It’s also been heartbreaking as parents to learn that she will need to undergo this same surgery again as an adult—likely around the age of 18. That knowing has been difficult to hold. But we trust in the path she’s been called to walk and believe in the power of healing, love, and miracles through God. For now, we’re simply breathing lighter with this first big step behind us.

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Whether you’ve donated (or plan to in the future), shared, prayed, or simply kept us in your heart, we feel it all. Your kindness and generosity have moved us beyond words.

We’ll continue to keep you updated as Saphira heals. But for now… we’re home, together, and so grateful.

P.S. If you’re able and feel called, we could still use financial support over the coming months as we work to cover Saphira’s medical bills and tend to other essential needs with our own resources.

Please know we don’t expect anything, and we never want anyone to feel pressured to give. Truly—only donate if you’re able and feel genuinely called to give from a place of abundance and love.

With gratitude,

Sterling, Sierra, & family