Let's save Zuzia's life!

It was supposed to be different. Some children need just one surgery to live happily ever after, but for us, the worst-case scenario has become a reality. Zuzia’s illness is extremely aggressive, and her aorta is closing very fast. Without a revision surgery soon, there will be no hope. We beg you for help to save our daughter’s life.

In June 2022, we were the happiest family in the world. With the help of donors, Zuzia underwent cardiac catheterization in Boston. The surgeons assured us that everything went well, and there was a chance she wouldn't need to return to the US for further treatment. However, the happiness did not last long.

It took just one year for Zuzia’s aorta to narrow down to half its previous size. Today, the vessel's lumen has a diameter of 2.5 mm. Our daughter's life is in danger.

Every moment counts, and Zuzia has to get to Boston Children’s Hospital for the life-saving surgery as soon as possible. Time is running out, with just a few weeks left.

Nobody could have predicted that this nightmare would come back, and we would again spend every second in fear for our daughter's life. It was supposed to be the end of the horrors, and we were supposed to live a normal life.

Our story begins in 2019, just after Zuzia was born. In the moments following delivery, we were informed that she has a congenital heart defect. Further diagnoses were even more heart-wrenching - a rare genetic disease, Williams syndrome. She has supravalvular aortic stenosis, pulmonary artery stenosis, cardiomegaly, and hypertension. The doctors did not sugarcoat the seriousness of the situation.

After many difficult experiences, procedures, and surgeries in our country, we had to look for help overseas. Zuzia was in critical condition, and at this point, the doctors in Poland could offer only palliative care. Then we asked the public for help for the first time to get support in financing life-saving surgery in Boston, where she had the highest chance of survival.

Thanks to the kindness of millions of good-hearted people on October 20, 2021, our daughter underwent a complicated surgery that saved her life. After the second cardiac catheterization in June 2022, when the surgeons were able to dilate the pulmonary arteries, we were sure our struggles came to an end. Unfortunately, life wrote a different scenario.

Today, Zuzia is 4 years old, and she would like to live a normal life. She is too young to know what’s happening, too young to know that her life can end at any moment. We are trying to give her the happiest childhood we can. She is attending kindergarten, has many friends, and is a very happy child, always smiling, active, open to others, and sensitive. Recently, she proudly became an older sister to young Marysia.

Going back on this journey - the fundraiser, the flight, the surgery - it's an incredibly tough decision. The prospect of a life without her, without our little sparkle, is something we can't even bring ourselves to imagine.

We are in a critical situation - the aorta must not close, and her blood pressure is consistently rising. Time is running out, and the financial burden is substantial. The cost for our daughter's life-saving procedure is 1.5 million zloty.

You've been by our side since the day Zuzia was born, supporting us through the toughest moments as we fought for her life and celebrating with us when we achieved victory. Without your unwavering support, we wouldn't be here. Today, we stand before you, humbly asking for any available help - for Zuzia, for another chance at life.

We kindly ask for your help:

Natalia and Maciej Bereza - Zuzia’s parents

and Grandparents Będźkowscy and Bereza