Our daughter, Ana Paula, is three years old. She is a joyful, energetic little girl who loves to play, laugh, explore, and fill every room with her personality.
Behind that smile, however, Ana Paula has been facing a serious medical condition involving her liver and bile ducts for her entire life.
Ana Paula's medical journey began almost from the moment she was born. She was diagnosed with a choledochal cyst, a rare condition affecting the bile ducts that carry bile from the liver. At just one day old, she underwent major surgery to remove the cyst and reconstruct her biliary system. We hoped that this surgery would allow her to put the condition behind her and grow up healthy.
For much of the time that followed, Ana Paula was able to enjoy being a little girl, but her liver and bile ducts continued to require close medical follow-up. Over time, she began experiencing episodes of inflammation and infection, including recurrent cholangitis, serious infections involving the bile ducts.
Over the past several months, these episodes became increasingly concerning and required multiple hospitalizations. Most recently, what began as another infection turned into the most difficult two weeks our family has ever experienced. Ana Paula became seriously ill and spent 14 days in the hospital, including time in intensive care.
Doctors initially considered whether a complication from her original surgery could be obstructing the flow of bile. During her most recent hospitalization, Ana Paula underwent surgery and extensive testing to investigate the cause. Her surgical connection was found to be functioning properly, but further examination revealed significant disease affecting the bile ducts inside her liver.
We then received the news no parent is prepared to hear: Ana Paula needs a liver transplant.
A liver transplant of this complexity cannot be performed in Guatemala, so we need to take Ana Paula abroad to a specialized pediatric liver transplant center where she can be evaluated and receive the treatment she needs. We are working to identify the best option for her and to make the medical, logistical, and financial arrangements necessary to get her there as soon as possible.
The financial challenge is enormous. Our family will need to cover not only the transplant and specialized medical care, but also evaluations, medications, travel, accommodations, potentially an extended stay outside Guatemala, and the extensive care required before and after transplantation.
We do not yet have a final cost because Ana Paula's case must first be evaluated by a transplant center. Based on the information we have received from other families who have gone through this process, we know that the costs can be extraordinary. We will update this campaign transparently as we receive medical plans, cost estimates, and more information about where her transplant will take place.
In the meantime, Ana Paula requires ongoing treatment, medication, and close medical supervision. Despite everything she has been through, she is still the same happy and determined little girl you see in these photos. We want to give her every opportunity to grow up, go back to school, play, travel, and experience the childhood and future she deserves.
We are asking for your help to get Ana Paula the liver transplant and specialized care she needs.
Every donation, no matter the amount, brings us closer to that goal. If you are unable to donate, sharing Ana Paula's story with your family, friends, community, or anyone who may be able to help can also make an enormous difference.
Our family is incredibly grateful for the love, prayers, messages, contacts, and support we have already received. We never imagined we would have to ask for this kind of help, but our priority is simple: doing everything possible to give our daughter a healthy future.
Thank you for taking the time to read Ana Paula's story, for sharing it, and for helping us give her the chance she deserves.
Eddy & Paula
