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From the 16th week of pregnancy, we knew that our journey with Rita would be unlike anything we had ever imagined. During an ultrasound, we learned that only half of her heart was beating. That moment shattered us, but it also made one thing clear: we would fight for her with every ounce of strength we had, and we wouldn’t stop until the very end. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we were determined to give her the chance to live, no matter what it took.

Rita was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a critical and incurable heart defect. From the moment she was born, her struggle began. Due to respiratory failure and apnea, Rita’s tiny body was unable to breathe on its own. She was immediately placed on oxygen and given powerful medications to stimulate her heart and lungs, but her condition worsened. Just hours after her birth, we were forced to watch as she was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, with the sound of sirens filling the air.

The doctors made it clear that Rita’s only chance for survival was an urgent and complex heart surgery. However, the situation was dire. Her body wasn’t receiving enough blood flow to the rest of her circulation, and too much blood was flowing to her lungs. To give her a chance, her chest had to be opened not once, but twice. On the seventh day of her life, Rita underwent surgery to narrow her pulmonary arteries, and a week later, she had another multi-hour open-heart surgery using the Norwood method.

Rita’s heart was placed in a state of deep hypothermia, and she was connected to a heart-lung machine to keep her alive. Her chest was left open, and electrodes were sewn into the area around her heart in case resuscitation became necessary. For two long days, Rita lay sedated, her heart visible, fighting for survival. For the next two weeks, she was in a medically induced coma due to heart and lung failure, kept alive only by strong medications and a ventilator.

During those dark moments, our hearts were heavy, but we clung to the belief that Rita had the strength to survive. And slowly, day by day, she proved us right. Over time, she began breathing on her own and was transferred to the cardiac surgery and cardiology ward. But even then, we knew that the hardest part of her battle was far from over.

Rita still has a long and difficult road ahead. In the coming months and years, she will need additional complex heart surgeries to gradually transform her heart into a single-chambered system. This will also change her circulatory system from a figure-eight pattern to a circular one. However, a single-chambered heart wears out much faster, meaning that Rita may eventually require a heart transplant. These life-saving procedures and treatments are available only in specialized centers abroad, which significantly increases the cost of her care.

Beyond her heart, Rita faces other challenges. During surgery, the laryngeal nerves were paralyzed, and as a result, she completely lost her voice. This loss has added another layer of difficulty to her recovery, and she now requires speech therapy and ENT treatments to regain her ability to communicate. All of this, combined with the complex heart procedures and ongoing rehabilitation, comes at an enormous cost—one that we must bear for many years to come.

Despite the tremendous hurdles Rita faces, she is our greatest gift. She is a true gem, and we are so incredibly proud to be her parents. Every day we get to spend with her is a blessing, and we are filled with hope that one day, Rita will be able to experience life just like every other child. We are determined to give her that chance, to fight for her heart and her future, no matter how difficult the journey may be.

But we can’t do this alone. Rita’s battle requires not just our strength, but the support of people like you. The cost of her medical care, surgeries, therapies, and specialized equipment is far beyond what we can manage on our own. That’s why we are reaching out for your help.

Together, we can ensure that Rita receives the life-saving treatments and therapies she needs to survive and thrive. Your support will help her continue her fight for a future filled with love, joy, and all the moments she deserves. We ask for your help in saving Rita’s heart—help us give her the chance to grow, to speak, to laugh, and to live the life we’ve always dreamed for her.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and for standing with us as we fight for our daughter’s life. With your help, we can give Rita the chance she so desperately deserves.