When little Pola Stanek came into the world on May 2, 2023, her first breath was absent. The delivery room, which had been filled with excitement and joy moments before, fell into a stunned silence as medical staff worked tirelessly to help a baby girl who could not breathe independently. Her parents watched in disbelief, their hearts racing, their aspirations for their child hanging precariously between life and death.
In those initial delicate moments, Pola received only one point on the Apgar scale—a single heartbeat that refused to fade. For her parents, that faint rhythm became a significant sign: Pola was determined to live. It was a small glimmer of hope, but it was enough to fuel an unwavering fight for her survival.
From the outset, Pola’s path has been one of hardship and extraordinary resilience.
Medical professionals soon identified that she was born with severe congenital malformations of the nervous system and a collapsing trachea, conditions that render breathing and swallowing nearly impossible without medical assistance. Within days, surgeons performed both a tracheostomy—to facilitate airflow to her lungs—and inserted a PEG feeding tube to provide her with nourishment.
For most parents, the first year of their child’s life is marked by milestones—first smiles, first words, first steps. For Pola’s parents, each day represents a different kind of milestone: a successful breathing session without issues, a minor physical improvement during therapy, or simply another morning when she wakes up smiling.
“She was given just one point for her heart beating,” her mother shares softly. “That one point is everything. It’s the reason we keep going, every single day.”
A Life Measured in Courage
Pola’s medical journey is as intricate as it is inspiring. In addition to her neurological and respiratory challenges, she was also born with bilateral clubfoot, a foot deformity that necessitates long-term orthopedic treatment and specialized rehabilitation. For many children, these obstacles would imply a lifetime of medical dependency—but her parents have resolutely refused to accept that fate.
Doctors have cautioned that Pola will likely require lifelong ventilator support to breathe. However, for her family, that prognosis is not a fate—it is a challenge. “We simply cannot accept that this is the end of what she can achieve,” her father states. “We believe in our daughter. We see how strong she is every time she looks at us.”
Every day is filled with routines that few could fathom. Pola’s parents perform medical tasks at home that most would associate with intensive care units: cleaning her tracheostomy, monitoring oxygen levels, managing feeding through her PEG tube. Between these medical routines, there are therapy sessions—hours of rehabilitation exercises, stimulation, and consultations with neurologists, physiotherapists, and orthopedists. Each small improvement feels like a miracle.
Their days blend into nights of sleepless vigilance. A single cough or sound from the monitor can send them rushing to her side. Yet amid the fatigue, there is also joy. Pola’s laughter—fragile but radiant—fills their home, a reminder that life, even in its most delicate form, can still be full of light.
The Price of Hope
However, behind every step forward lies a significant financial burden.
Specialized rehabilitation, advanced equipment, medical transport, and constant consultations with various specialists have placed the family under immense strain. Despite their unwavering love and determination, the costs of Pola’s care far exceed what they can manage alone.
“Every therapy session, every hospital visit, every piece of equipment—it all adds up so quickly,” her mother explains. “But how can we ever put a price on her future? On her ability to breathe on her own one day?”
The family has sought the kindness of others, hoping that compassion can help them navigate this storm. Donations are not merely numbers in an account—they are acts of love, each one providing Pola with another opportunity to fight, to heal, and to live as fully as she can.
A Small Girl, a Big Miracle
Pola’s story transcends illness—it embodies defiance, courage, and the limitless power of love. Every child deserves a chance to grow, to explore, to dream. For Pola, that chance hinges on ongoing medical care and therapy—but above all, it relies on hope.
Her parents often speak of the future with quiet resolve. They envision the day when Pola will no longer need the ventilator, when she will take her first independent step, when her laughter will echo in a playground instead of a hospital room. “We know the road is long,” her father remarks. “But Pola has already shown she’s stronger than anyone imagined.”
In a world that often measures success by speed and perfection, Pola imparts a different lesson—one of patience, resilience, and unconditional love. Her tiny heart, the same heart that earned her a single point on her first day of life, continues to beat with the strength of a thousand hopes.
And for her family, that one point was never just a number. It was—and remains—the heartbeat of their world.
How You Can Help
Pola’s journey is far from complete. With ongoing rehabilitation, specialized therapies, and advanced medical support, there remains genuine hope for improvement. Her parents are dedicated to doing everything possible, but they cannot do it alone.
Every contribution—whether financial support, sharing her story, or simply sending words of encouragement—helps this brave little girl take another step toward a better life.
Because sometimes, the smallest heartbeat can inspire the greatest courage.
