My name is Daniel. I am an early educator in Washington, D.C. Every year for the past 9 years, I have participated in a charity fundraiser for Extra Life that helps sick children in hospitals. The money that I raised every year would be sent to the Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., for them to allocate the funds for things they need. I have always loved doing this as I feel like I can have some effect on something that I love to do, which is play video games, to help raise money for these kids.

This year is a little different. I am switching what I am raising money for this year. There is a girl whose name is Sloane. She is 6 years old now, and I have known her for most of her life, from summer camps to her being in my class at school for the last two years. Sloane is the bravest kid I have ever met. Knowing that she knows what is going on, her days in our classroom, she went about it like nothing was ever wrong. She loved talking about everything and anything about unicorns, cupcakes, sweet treats, princesses, fancy clothing, and makeup. She forged strong friendships with her classmates and tackled any challenge that got in her way. Her determination to fight is very evident.

The thing that I have known about Sloane right from the beginning is that she has congenital heart defects, which resulted in a loss of function in half of her heart. This has led her to having 4 open-heart surgeries, 9 heart catheterizations, 2 balloon angioplasties, 3 stents, countless echocardiograms, EKGs, and hospitalizations. She has been on a waitlist for a heart transplant for many years now. On top of all of that, this past year, she has permanently lost function in her left lung. She has constantly been in and out of hospital visits but luckily has been able to be at home with her family all these years and live her life out like any child can.

Recently, her family was notified that Sloane needs to go as an inpatient at the hospital, as her home therapies are no longer beneficial and are the only option to prevent a steep decline in her health. This means now Sloane will be in a hospital for 6 - 12 months, plus having to wait for a heart.

Once I heard this recent news, being a close friend of the family, and Sloane, I needed and wanted to do something for them. Talking with the family, they would like the money to go to some organizations that they feel strongly about that help support children like Sloane, to research and advance technologies to help Sloane and children alike. I just want to help raise money in support of Sloane and her family for them to use it to how they see fit, whether it is putting it to an organization for research, medical costs, or just to get something for Sloane to do while in the hospital for her unknown amount of time. So all money raised will be given directly to the family. If I can help Sloane's story get better by sharing this and raising money and even awareness, I feel like I have done just that little bit more in helping her and other children alike.

Thanks for donating to Sloane and her family,

Daniel