Elsa's Story

When Elsa’s mom went to the doctor to learn the gender of her baby at 21 weeks, she was immediately hospitalized.

A few weeks later, little baby Elsa was born with multiple complications due to extreme prematurity, including chronic lung disease and a hole in her heart. 

Born at just barely 24 weeks, Elsa weighed just 1.6 lbs. She was very fragile and fighting for her life. She would spend the next 5 months hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

Elsa’s mom had made every effort to save and prepare financially for her baby’s arrival, but they didn’t anticipate this crisis. She had planned to work several more months. “Everything had been shaken up," Elsa’s mom said. Dad continued his work in a restaurant, but it was a hard time for their family.

As Elsa’s mom recovered from her C-section, doctors didn’t clear her to drive for a long time, so being by her little girl’s side meant relying on rideshare for weeks. Expenses increased for transportation, parking, and food at the hospital for 5 months, taking an emotional and financial toll on their family.

Support for transportation costs, diapers, and holiday gifts lifted up this deserving family during their hardest days.