My little nephew Nathaniel was born on May 1st, and from the beginning, he has had to fight in ways no newborn ever should.

A newborn baby should spend his first days wrapped in his mama’s arms, learning her voice, warmth, smell, and the safety of human touch. But Nathaniel’s first days have been filled with monitors, tubes, needles, medications, procedures, and his first open-heart surgery.

Nathaniel was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare condition where the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped. His parents, my brother Bogdan and his wife Masha, first learned something may be wrong at their 32-week ultrasound. Instead of preparing to bring their baby home, they suddenly had to prepare for heart surgery, intensive care, and uncertainty.

When Nathaniel was only five days old, he had his first major open-heart surgery. Since then, this tiny boy has been fighting to breathe, recover, and grow strong enough to come home.

After surgery, Nathaniel needed a ventilator to breathe. He could not cry freely, suck, eat, or be comfortable like a newborn should. His first attempt coming off it failed and caused bleeding in his lungs, but by God’s grace, the second attempt was successful. He still needs oxygen, monitoring, and a feeding tube as we pray he grows strong enough to breathe, eat, heal, and come home.

Eleven days after his heart surgery, Nathaniel’s mama finally got to hold him for the first time.

For most of Nathaniel’s life so far, human touch has meant medical touch: needles, tubes, suctioning, procedures. His little body has started flinching from touch, because painful touch is so much of what he has known.

So when his mama finally held him, it was more than a sweet moment. It was the beginning of giving him back what every baby deserves: gentle touch, warmth, comfort, love, and the feeling that says, “you are safe… you are loved… you are not alone.”

HLHS is lifelong. Nathaniel will need more staged heart surgeries, usually one around 4 to 6 months old and another later in childhood. One of the hardest parts for Bogdan and Masha is knowing that just as he begins to recover, another surgery is already waiting not far ahead.

Right now, Bogdan and Masha have stepped away from work and are staying near the hospital through Ronald McDonald House. It has been a blessing, but it is still not home. Their family is split between the hospital, recovery, and caring for Grace, Nathaniel’s big sister, who is only 1 year and 4 months old and still has not been able to meet him.

More than anything, Bogdan and Masha long to bring their sweet boy home. To hold him without wires. To feed him. To let Grace meet him.

We are raising funds to ease the financial burden on Nathaniel’s family. Your support helps Bogdan and Masha stay close, present, and focused on Nathaniel without the added stress of financial strain. Any funds not needed immediately will be set aside for Nathaniel’s future care and upcoming surgeries.

First and foremost, we ask for your prayers. Please pray for Nathaniel’s healing, safe feeding, strength for his family, wisdom for his medical team, and God’s peace over every step.

Please consider giving. Any amount helps. Sharing this page and praying for Nathaniel is just as powerful.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.