Hi everyone, my name is Maira. I am 38 years old, and I’m fighting for a second chance at life — for my dreams, and most of all, for my 5-year-old daughter, Annette.

Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of working in aviation — helping people get home to their families. But my greatest dream has always been to be a mother.

When I was 24, I was overjoyed to learn I was expecting. But the pregnancy came with significant symptoms of heart failure, and I was diagnosed with a severe heart condition necessitating immediate surgery (severe rheumatic mitral valve stenosis). It was a very difficult time in my life, but I chose to defer the surgery, risking my life for my baby. She was born prematurely and unfortunately, lived just seven days. Losing her shattered me beyond words, but her memory gave me the strength to keep going.

After mourning her loss, I underwent open-heart surgery to replace my failing mitral valve with a bioprosthetic one. The surgery drained my family’s savings, but it gave me hope for the future.

That hope became reality when my miracle baby, Annette, was born 5 years ago. She is my everything — my reason to fight through the hardest days.

But now my heart is failing again. My valve is almost 15 years old. It is deteriorating. On top of that, my aortic valve also needs replaced now, and without urgent surgery, my doctors tell me I could die — leaving Annette without her mother. The very thought of that breaks me.

The surgery costs $20,000 — an impossible sum for me here in Bolivia, where wages are low and healthcare is a privilege. We’ve sold everything we could, and begged for loans, but we have only been able to raise a small fraction of this amount so far. Time is running out. And that’s why I’m asking for your help.

Every dollar you give brings me closer to the surgery that could save my life. And if you can’t donate, please share my story, or keep me in your prayers — so I can see Annette grow up, sing her lullabies, and hold her tight at every birthday and school play.

I’ve always dreamed of helping families reunite. Please help me stay with mine.

Thank you for being the miracle we’ve been praying for.

With hope and gratitude,

Maira Alejandra López Santander