Tia's Open Heart Surgery

Hi! My name is Natalia, Tia's older sister. When Tia was born on December 26, 2004, her skin was purple and she wasn't breathing. The doctors took her immediately. While trying to figure out what was wrong, she flatlined. The doctors attempted to resuscitate her and failed at doing so. Luckily, 3 minutes later a heartbeat came back on the monitor. It shocked the doctors. My sister was and still is a fighter.

She was coastgaurded to Boston's Children's Hospital urgently for a diagnosis and a month later surgery. She was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. While waiting for surgery she was on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). All of her organs were pushed toward her chest cavity. Tia was in and out of the hospital for years after this occurrence. She was also on oxygen for 5 years after birth to help her breathe.

The long-term effects of this diagnosis impact the growth and development of the lungs and sometimes the heart. Typically, CDH is an isolated finding although it can occur along with heart disease which can lead to additional complications. Unfortunately, in Tia's case, resulting in heart issues. She now has ASD, short for an atrial septal defect. This means Tia now has a hole in the heart between the upper chambers (atria). The hole increases the amount of blood that flows through the lungs. The condition is present at birth (congenital heart defect). When Tia was first diagnosed with ASD (4 years ago), her hole was small and the doctors thought nothing of it and believed would eventually close.

We scheduled to have surgery through catheterization 4 years ago before COVID hit. During COVID, the surgery was canceled, increasing the diameter of the hole. The hole is now the size of a quarter and needs urgent attention. If this issue is not resolved, Tia won't survive past the age of 30. ASD has enlarged her heart (the right side) and her muscles are not able to function as well since they need to pump more blood than usual. Her open heart surgery is scheduled for July 25, 2023.

I am not sure how my family will afford to live without an income during this time frame not to mention the costs associated with surgery. I feel strange setting up a gofundme and asking for help, but I feel I need to do something to try to keep my family out of too much hardship.

Help us raise money for our fighter. She can survive this surgery and will have a smooth recovery with your help. Thank you in advance for any help you can send our way.

With love and hope,

Natalia