On February 23, 2022, I gave birth to my long-awaited daughter, Emilia. It should have been a day of joy, but instead, it was the beginning of a nightmare. Her birth was incredibly difficult—Emilia got stuck in the birth canal, and when she was finally born, she wasn’t breathing. She was blue, with broken collarbones, and I couldn’t hear her first cry. I wasn’t allowed to hold her or even see her. The doctors rushed her to intensive care and put her on life support immediately.

The diagnoses we received were terrifying. Emilia’s central nervous system had been severely damaged, and she had cerebral edema, congenital aortic stenosis, laryngeal stenosis, and microcephaly. The doctors were unsure if she would even survive. To try and protect her brain from further damage, they kept her body cool for three long days. I stood by her side, helpless, praying for a sign of life—a sign that she would open her eyes, take a breath. Those three days felt like a lifetime, and I lived in a constant state of fear, not knowing if she would make it.

On top of the brain damage, Emilia was soon diagnosed with a complex heart defect. We were transferred to another hospital, where a renowned cardiac surgeon performed an intense, life-saving surgery that gave our daughter a fighting chance. Yet, even after the surgery, complications arose—sepsis, pneumonia, and multiple blood transfusions. At one point, one of the doctors gently suggested, “Maybe it would be a good idea to have the baby baptized…” I knew what that meant. It was a signal that we should prepare for the worst. Looking at her fragile, helpless little body, tangled in tubes and wires, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. I couldn’t imagine a world without my baby.

Every day, as I left and returned to the hospital, I passed a statue of Our Lady. I prayed to Her every day, asking for a miracle for my child. I don’t know if Providence heard my prayers, but what happened next was nothing short of a miracle. Day by day, Emilia’s condition began to improve. The doctors, who had once spoken of the end, now spoke of hope—a chance for a future. The impossible was becoming possible, and our daughter was slowly coming back to us.

To this day, I still don’t fully understand how I survived those days. My memories of that time are blurred—shrouded in a fog of fear, sleepless nights, and the constant waiting for my daughter’s every breath. I lived hour by hour, driven only by instinct and the constant fear that clung to me, never allowing me to rest.

Today, Emilia is with us, and she continues to fight every day. She battles with epilepsy and struggles to eat or drink on her own. Her entire diet is administered through a gastrostomy tube. She needs constant care and someone always by her side to assist with even the most basic activities. Despite her young age, Emilia requires intensive and regular rehabilitation to help her slowly gain the skills she needs to become more independent and to fight for a better future.

While the worst is behind us, the journey is far from over. Now, I must humbly ask for your support. Every donation gives Emilia the opportunity for more hours of rehabilitation, specialized equipment, and therapies that will help her continue to develop and fight for a better tomorrow. It is because of your help that we can provide her with the care she so desperately needs.

Please, don’t abandon us. Emilia’s journey is one of strength, resilience, and hope, but it’s also a reminder of how much she still needs in order to overcome the obstacles ahead. Your support, no matter how small, can make a huge difference in her life. Thank you for being part of this miracle, for standing by us as we continue to fight for Emilia’s future.