Save Iga's heart! Operation is a chance for life!

Her heart is still working, but nobody knows how long. With such an abnormal rhythm the heart can stop working any minute. That would mean for us only one thing - that we have lost the battle...

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Pregnancy was a real blessing. A gift I cherished from the first moment. The bliss of expecting a baby was brutally torn apart after the first ultrasound appointment - my unborn child was diagnosed with a heart abnormality. I didn't know what it meant. "Is it just a tip of an iceberg?', I asked myself. Further investigation were to show us the severity of the condition. While awaiting the final diagnosis, I kept rubbing my growing bump, telling the little baby inside that we had to persevere it somehow. The diagnosis swept us away. The baby's heart was severely abnormal, actually she had only half of her heart. The doctors also suspected a possible Down Syndrome.

The first question I asked was what chances of surviving my baby had. The doctors weren't able to give us any conclusive answer. Nobody knew what the future held for us...  My world then fell apart into million pieces. I was heartbroken and ...... silent. There was nothing more that could be possibly said in that tough life situation. 

I will never forget the day when Iga was born. It was one of the most wonderful and at the same time the toughest day of my life. We had no idea what to expect. I wasn't allowed to touch her, to give her a warm motherly hug. The first time I saw her, 24 hours later, she was surrounded by numerous lifesaving equipment. The first miracle happened just a few days later. The surgeons were able to mend my baby's little heart in such a way to give us some temporary stability. That's when we regained our hope. We started believing that we could overcome the tragedic circumstances. Obviously, we had no idea what was ahead of us or how to go about, but we had no choice. Since that time, our life has been a constant sine wave, happiness mixed with fear, the usual everyday life non-existent to us.

The following surgery in December 2018 was intended to give Iga more energy which she needed so much to lead a normal life. Our hopes and expectations were challenged again shortly after. Iga developed pneumonia and soon the bacterial infection spread throughout her whole body. Thankfully, she fought against it with all her strength and managed to come out of it, but since then I have never felt peaceful again. It has left a scar of uncertainty and constant fear in me. The painful memories of my suffering child who couldn't grasp why she had to suffer so much, why she was touched with cold hands and had needles inserted into her skin. All she wanted was her mommy's hands which give warmth and safety.....

Coming back home from hospital was a cheerful moment. It meant we could have a normal life again, sort of normal. After leaving the ward where she seemed just a lifeless little patient, Iga began gaining energy very quickly. She soon began to flourish again. She is now a cheerful little thing, full of smiles and giggles.

But the heart condition is not gone yet. When you have a closer look at Iga, you will notice dark circles under her eyes; her skin has an unusual colour and her fingertips and lips are often blue. She is at times short of breath.

There is one final surgery that Iga needs to undergo. Dr Edward Malec from the teaching hospital in Munster is willing to offer us his help and expertise. Unfortunately, the costs involved in the surgery and treatment are far beyond our financial possibilities. However, we are not willing to give up now in the fight for Iga's life, now that we have come so close to the long-awaited victory of life over death. I would do anything to take away the painful suffering and offer my girl a carefree life in which she could simply indulge. 

Hence, we ask for your help. For Iga, it's a life or death situation and without you we won't be able to offer her the former. She can't wait any longer....