Support Eliana's Fight for Life in the NICU

Hi everyone,

We never thought we’d be writing something like this, but here we are, asking for your help during one of the hardest times in our lives.

On April 16, during Nancy’s 20-week pregnancy checkup, we found out she had an insufficient cervix. Everything changed so quickly — she had to be rushed to South Austin Medical Center for an emergency surgery to try and save the pregnancy with a cerclage. We were scared, but hopeful.

The next day, our hearts sank when we learned the cerclage didn’t hold. Nancy’s water had broken, and she began leaking amniotic fluid. Despite everything, our baby kept holding on. Nancy was admitted again to the hospital on April 26 at St. David’s Women’s Center, where we stayed, just hoping to buy a little more time for our baby to grow.

In the middle of the night on May 4, at 23 weeks pregnant, Nancy started having intense abdominal pain. The doctors told us she was in labor. Within minutes, we were rushed into delivery.

On May 5 at 6:20 a.m., our little warrior Eliana was born — just 510 grams (barely over a pound) and 28 cm long. So tiny, so fragile — but here, and fighting. We’ve named her Eliana, which means “God has answered,” because we truly believe she’s a miracle.

Eliana is now in the NICU, and every day is a battle for her tiny body. She’s struggling to keep her sodium stable, fighting infections like meningitis, getting blood transfusions because she’s anemic, and dealing with skin breakdown due to how delicate her skin still is. She's on antibiotics and around-the-clock care just to survive. She’ll be in the NICU for about 127 days — that's four long months where every hour counts. It’s hard to put into words how strong she is, how much she's already endured, and how badly she wants to be here. She's our miracle girl, but even miracles need a little help to make it through.

We found out the cost of her NICU stay is between $5,000–$10,000 a night. Even with insurance covering 70%, that leaves us with nearly $200,000 out-of-pocket at minimum. It’s hard to even say that number out loud. We’ve always tried to do everything on our own, but this is something bigger than us. It’s more than we could ever prepare for, and as much as it hurts to ask — we know we can’t do this alone.

Whether through a donation or just by sharing our story — it would all help and we would be so grateful. If you can donate, even a little, it would go directly toward Eliana’s care. If you can’t, please consider sharing her story, or keeping her in your prayers. Every act of kindness helps her stay in the fight. Every bit helps us stay focused on what matters most: helping Eliana grow stronger every day.

We know Eliana has a long journey ahead, but we believe in her. She’s already shown us more strength and spirit than we ever thought possible in someone so small. She just needs a little more help — and we’re hoping you can be a part of her story.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. We truly need it now more than ever.

With love,

Win & Nancy Cruzabra

(And Baby Eliana, our little fighter)