Support Esme's Journey to Open-Heart Surgery

Meet Baby Esme Reyes-Craddock

A Little Fighter with a Big Journey Ahead

Esme Reyes-Craddock is only six weeks old, but she’s already shown more strength and resilience than most of us will in a lifetime. Esme was born with a rare and serious congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot—a condition that includes four complex heart problems: a ventricular septal defect, overriding aorta, pulmonary stenosis, and right ventricular hypertrophy. This combination affects how blood flows through her heart and lungs, making it hard for her to breathe and receive enough oxygen.

At just 5 days old, Esme underwent a procedure to have a stent placed in her heart to help improve blood flow to her lungs because she wasn’t getting enough oxygen on her own. Since then, she has already been intubated twice, each time for about a week, because her condition doesn’t allow her to breathe properly at times. Her oxygen levels can drop suddenly, and the only long-term solution is open-heart surgery, which doctors say she’ll need by the time she’s six months old. Right now, she’s just six weeks old and still fighting.

Her condition happened “de novo,” which means it was a spontaneous, random occurrence—something no one could have predicted, and with no known family history. Esme is Cynthia’s first child, and the love she and her husband TJ Craddock have for their daughter is indescribable.

As parents, you understand this kind of love—the kind that changes you instantly and permanently. It’s the overwhelming, unconditional, powerful love that wraps around you the moment you meet your child. We love Esme with everything we have. She is our world, our heart, our purpose.

We currently live two hours away from the hospital in San Antonio, Texas, where Esme needs to stay to survive. She has never seen the sun—her entire life has been inside a hospital room, surrounded by machines and uncertainty. Because of how fragile her condition is, and how quickly things can change, we cannot bear to leave her side. We don’t want her to be alone or scared. She deserves to feel safe and loved through every second of this journey.

TJ has been taking on every side job and handyman gig he can find to help keep us going—so we can afford gas, food, and any way to stay close to Esme. But it’s incredibly hard trying to manage life and survive financially while never wanting to leave your baby’s bedside.

We’re sharing our story because we need help—but also because we know we’re not alone. We know other parents understand this kind of love and the fear that comes with it. We hope that Esme’s story touches your heart the way she’s touched ours.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about our little fighter. Please keep Esme in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for her open-heart surgery and all the challenges ahead.

With love,

Cynthia & TJ Craddock

Proud parents of Esme Reyes-Craddock