Hi, my name is Lorena D'Alessio,

When I was approximately 6 months pregnant, my husband and I found out that our baby, our firstborn, had a complex heart defect that would require surgery before her first birthday. Once Grace, our beloved daughter, was born, we found out that her condition was more complex than we initially thought. She was in the hospital for her first week of life and went home with us for a few weeks. Shortly after, she was airlifted to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City and was there for 3 weeks where the doctors had to perform a catheterization procedure in her heart to help with her oxygen levels. She returned to our home for 2 weeks and then went back to the hospital. This third time, she was hospitalized for 2 months and had to undergo her first open-heart surgery. She spent 2 weeks in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, the longest two weeks of our lives. Then, it took her a while to recover and gain weight to be able to leave the hospital and come back home with us. This first surgery was not what we were expecting. It was a surgery that allowed her little body to receive more oxygen and gain the weight required for the main surgery. Thank God, and the great work of the medical team, Grace returned home with us and has continued her normal life, without oxygen, without an NG-Tube, only her mark on her chest and many desires to continue living. Now, on September 17 of this year 2025, she must return to the hospital to face the operating room again, this time, yes, for her corrective heart surgery, a surgery of approximately 7 hours, which will also tell the doctors if she will need more surgeries in the future in her life. We, as the D'Alessio family, are waiting to see what will happen, and we trust in God and in the expertise of the medical team that cares for her, that she will emerge victorious, recover soon, and return home with us. So, God willing, she will not need more open-heart surgeries in her life.

But all this entails a great economic burden. Since Grace was born, it was impossible for me to return to work because of the care she needs, so we are left only with the income of my husband Dan, and the bills accumulate. We do not know how much more we will have to pay in the future for the next visit to the hospital. There are things that medical insurance covers, but it does not cover everything. The hospital has helped us, but even so, the burden is quite a lot. My husband Dan has had to look for a second job so we can make ends meet. So today, I find myself in the sad need to ask for help, my friends, family, and all those good-will people who wish to help us with Grace's medical expenses. Your contribution, no matter how small it may be, will help us a lot to bear this burden, and we will appreciate it greatly, and we will be very grateful, hoping that in the near future we will be the ones who help whoever needs it at the moment.

In God we trust that everything is going to be fine, and our great and loving God will reward you many times over for your valuable help.

Please pray for Grace.