When Adriana entered the world, everything appeared to be perfect.
Her arrival was serene and beautiful — the kind of moment every parent dreams of. The pregnancy was healthy, the delivery went smoothly, and when the doctors rated her a perfect 10 on the Apgar scale, her parents were overwhelmed with joy and relief.
“She was perfect,” her mother remembers. “We couldn’t take our eyes off her. Our hearts were full.”
However, just three weeks later, their lives would be turned upside down.
A Diagnosis That Altered Everything
At merely 21 days old, little Adriana was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect — multiple ventricular and atrial septal defects. The holes in both the upper and lower chambers of her heart meant that blood wasn’t circulating properly. Her delicate heart was overworked, leaving her too weak to perform even the simplest task of a newborn: eating.
“Our daughter was so weak she couldn’t feed,” her parents share. “She would fall asleep halfway through a meal. She wasn’t gaining weight. She didn’t have the energy even to cry.”
Doctors acted swiftly. At just one month old, Adriana underwent her first open-heart surgery. The surgeons did their best, but the defects were too intricate to close entirely. Instead, they placed a band around her pulmonary artery, a temporary solution to assist her breathing until she was strong enough for another, more dangerous operation — potentially a heart transplant.
“She looked so tiny in that hospital bed,” her mother recalls softly. “No parent should ever have to see their child connected to so many wires and machines.”
A Daily Struggle for Every Bite
As Adriana grew, the challenges persisted. The heart defect had impacted her body in ways that extended beyond her heart. Eating — something so natural and simple for most children — became a daily struggle for survival.
“From the start, feeding was difficult,” her parents explain. “She would tire so quickly that we had to feed her through a tube. Every attempt at eating caused anxiety, crying, and sometimes even pain.”
Now, at 1 year and 8 months old, Adriana has been tube-fed for over a year and a half. Her parents have tried everything: various foods, textures, therapists, and countless consultations with cardiologists, speech therapists, and nutritionists. Nothing has worked.
“When we tried to expand her diet, she couldn’t tolerate food at all,” her mother says. “It breaks our hearts. She wants to be like other children — to eat, to play — but her body won’t allow it.”
The Promise of a New Beginning
After months of searching for solutions, Adriana’s family finally found a glimmer of hope. The Paley European Institute — a medical center renowned for its specialized pediatric feeding programs — has accepted Adriana into their therapy.
“It gives us so much hope,” her father states. “They have experience helping children who can’t eat due to medical trauma or long-term tube feeding. We believe this could change her life.”
However, there’s one issue — the program is private and expensive. In addition to the hospital stay, Adriana will need to work one-on-one with a feeding therapist from the same team, also privately.
“We’ve done everything we can to cover the costs ourselves,” her parents explain. “But after nearly two years of constant treatment, hospital stays, and therapy sessions, our savings are depleted. We’re emotionally and financially drained — but we can’t give up now.”
Thus, they are reaching out for help — from friends, from strangers, from anyone whose heart is moved by their story.
A Childhood on Pause
For Adriana, life has been anything but typical. While other toddlers are running, laughing, and exploring the world, she is fighting just to grow stronger. Her days are filled with medical appointments, tube changes, and careful monitoring.
“She doesn’t know what it’s like to eat ice cream or taste her favorite fruit,” her mother laments. “Something so simple and joyful for other children is still a dream for her.”
Yet, Adriana is more than her illness. Despite everything, she smiles. She giggles when her parents make silly faces. She dances in her crib when she hears music. Her bright eyes and boundless energy remind everyone around her that her spirit is stronger than any diagnosis.
“She’s our little warrior,” her father says with pride. “She doesn’t give up, and neither will we.”
Fighting for Tomorrow
Adriana’s parents understand that time is of the essence. The longer she relies on tube feeding, the more challenging it will be for her to learn to eat independently. That’s why this next step — the feeding program — feels so urgent.
“Our biggest dream is simple,” her mother shares. “We just want her to eat like any other child. To sit at the table with us. To have a normal childhood.”
The family is currently raising funds to cover the costs of treatment and therapy sessions. Every donation, they say, is a step closer to giving Adriana the opportunity to live freely — without fear, without pain, without tubes.
“She deserves to live like other children,” her parents express. “To play with her friends, to laugh without being attached to machines, to enjoy the taste of life.”
A Call for Kindness
Adriana’s story is one of countless children born with congenital heart defects. Yet her journey also serves as a reminder — of how fragile life is, and how powerful hope can be.
Her parents’ message is straightforward:
“We’re not giving up. We believe in our daughter. And we believe in the kindness of others.”
They’ve already come so far. And now, with a little assistance, they can take the next step — toward healing, toward independence, and toward a future where Adriana can finally experience what every child deserves: a life filled with love, laughter, and the simple joy of living without fear.
