Noelia

Noelia is a sweet 20-month old baby girl born with down syndrome.  She was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) right after she was born and was intubated (life support) for weeks.  Soon after her birth she needed a feeding tube, had heart issues and lung damage from being on the ventilator.  Noelia was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Cottage Hospital when the doctors discovered she had a hole in one of the vessels to her heart. She was immediately transferred and underwent surgery at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She is now home with her family.

Noelia’s parents have 5 children ages 6 months to 19 years old. Noelia travels with her mom or dad from Santa Maria to Santa Barbara twice per week to Cottage Health for medical appointments; they travel to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles about once per month for their daughter’s ears/hearing; and they travel to the heart specialist in Visalia every three months. Their travels to these appointments are done in a single day in order to get back to their other children. Also, they don’t have extra money for lodging or meals when they travel, usually they have just enough money for gas.

Noelia’s mom is her primary care giver and doesn’t work. Her father is a field worker that is currently unemployed.  It has been hard to keep a job when having to travel to various medical facilities and taking care of the children that are at home. This family has saved whatever extra money they have knowing it will be needed for gas for their next medical visit.

Hearts Aligned along with donations from our supporters, stepped in and paid their January rent and car payment to make sure they could get through the holidays. In addition, Christmas gifts were donated to the family by an anonymous donor.

Noelia’s mom has expressed her gratitude, “Thank you to all the donors and team because it takes a whole village to help out.”

Thank you to our donors that have helped this wonderful family! We are receiving many referrals from our medical partners and with your help, we can help these families.

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