{"id":14,"date":"2024-09-27T18:14:56","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T18:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cota1.wpengine.com\/cloningsite\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2025-11-13T09:02:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T14:02:43","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforsarahshope\/our-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sarah\u2019s Journey: A Story of Strength and Hope <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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La Historia de Sarah: Una Lucha de Fuerza y Esperanza<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sarah\u2019s heart journey began on December 20, 2024, at 20 weeks of gestation, where she was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS) and fetal hydrops. Later she was also diagnosed with liver enlargement. Since the day of her initial diagnosis, her parents were told they would not be able to see Sarah born alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every appointment, every sonogram was heartbreaking. A week before her birth, Sarah\u2019s parents were faced with a difficult decision: choose hospice or allow her to fight for her life. They chose to fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah was born on April 9th<\/sup> after an abrupt placenta eruption. She was diagnosed with HRHS and pulmonary atresia, but the fetal hydrops and liver issues were not present. Since her heart\u2019s right side was not fully developed, her left side had to pick up all the work. On April 17, her heart started giving up, making her heart rate and blood pressure drop. It was a terrifying situation. She was then intubated at bedside and was baptized the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She underwent her first open-heart surgery to insert a Singular Ventricular Assist Device (SVAD). During surgery, she suffered a massive aortic hemorrhage. Doctors were forced to over sew her aortic valve to place a shunt all while having many blood transfusions. She came out of surgery swollen and covered with many tubes. A few days later, a brain scan revealed a hemorrhage, likely due to either the surgery or the strong blood thinner she was on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah was extubated on April 22, only to be re-intubated on April 26 due to respiratory distress. Doctors had to insert another chest tube to help drain fluid from her right lung, which contained fat from her breast milk. On April 30th<\/sup>, she was extubated again and finally began to stabilize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 2nd<\/sup> was a special day for Sarah and her family. She was able to finally have her mom, dad, and older brother in the same room as her. A few days later May 5th<\/sup>, Sarah was officially listed for a heart transplant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since her surgery, her biggest battles have been breathing issues and weight gain. But her hemorrhage has been resolved. Her lungs have frequently been filling up with fluids which require her to be on diuretics and breathing support. Because of her fluid limitations, Sarah has struggled to grow. Born at 6lbs 1 oz, she is now at 7lb 11oz. She has upgraded from micro-preemie diapers to preemie and now wears newborn clothes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, at nearly 3 months, our little warrior has a long journey ahead of her. All that is left to do is wait for the call- a new heart for Sarah. It will be the greatest gift for Sarah and her family to finally bring her home, hold her, and see her bond with her big brother, Victor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent updates on her blog and social media pages! Sarah Diaz Heart Journey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Children\u2019s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation\u2019s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA\u2019s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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El viaje card\u00edaco de Sarah comenz\u00f3 el 20 de diciembre de 2024, a las 20 semanas de gestaci\u00f3n, cuando le diagnosticaron S\u00edndrome de Coraz\u00f3n Derecho Hipopl\u00e1sico (HRHS) e hidropes\u00eda fetal. Posteriormente, tambi\u00e9n le diagnosticaron hepatomegalia. Desde el d\u00eda de su diagn\u00f3stico inicial, los m\u00e9dicos les informaron a sus padres que no llegar\u00edan a ver a Sarah nacer con vida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cada cita, cada ecograf\u00eda, era desgarradora. Una semana antes de su nacimiento, los padres de Sarah se enfrentaron a una dif\u00edcil decisi\u00f3n: optar por cuidados paliativos o permitirle luchar por su vida. Eligieron luchar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah naci\u00f3 el 9 de abril tras una erupci\u00f3n placentaria abrupta. Le diagnosticaron HRHS y atresia pulmonar, pero no presentaba hidropes\u00eda fetal ni problemas hep\u00e1ticos. Dado que el lado derecho de su coraz\u00f3n no estaba completamente desarrollado, el izquierdo tuvo que asumir todo el trabajo. El 17 de abril, su coraz\u00f3n comenz\u00f3 a fallar, lo que provoc\u00f3 que su frecuencia card\u00edaca y presi\u00f3n arterial bajaran. Fue una situaci\u00f3n aterradora. Tuvo que ser intubada junto a su cama y bautizada a la ma\u00f1ana siguiente.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Se someti\u00f3 a su primera cirug\u00eda de coraz\u00f3n abierto para insertarle un dispositivo de Asistencia Ventricular Singular (SVAD). Durante la cirug\u00eda, sufri\u00f3 una hemorragia a\u00f3rtica masiva. Los m\u00e9dicos fueron obligados a suturar su v\u00e1lvula a\u00f3rtica para colocar una derivaci\u00f3n, mientras recib\u00eda numerosas transfusiones de sangre. Sali\u00f3 de la cirug\u00eda hinchada y cubierta con muchos tubos. Unos d\u00edas despu\u00e9s, una tomograf\u00eda cerebral revel\u00f3 una hemorragia, probablemente debida a la cirug\u00eda o al fuerte anticoagulante que tomaba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah fue extubada el 22 de abril y re-intubada el 26 de abril debido a dificultad respiratoria. Los m\u00e9dicos tuvieron que insertarle otro tubo tor\u00e1cico para drenar el l\u00edquido de su pulm\u00f3n derecho, que conten\u00eda grasa de la leche materna. El 30 de abril, fue extubada de nuevo y finalmente comenz\u00f3 a estabilizarse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El 2 de mayo fue un d\u00eda especial para Sarah y su familia. Finalmente pudo compartir habitaci\u00f3n con su mam\u00e1, pap\u00e1 y hermano mayor. Unos d\u00edas despu\u00e9s, el 5 de mayo, Sarah fue oficialmente listada para un trasplante de coraz\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desde su cirug\u00eda, sus mayores dificultades han sido los problemas respiratorios y el aumento de peso. Pero su hemorragia se ha resuelto. Sus pulmones se han llenado de l\u00edquido con frecuencia, lo que requiere diur\u00e9ticos y asistencia respiratoria. Debido a sus limitaciones de l\u00edquidos, Sarah ha tenido dificultades para crecer. Naci\u00f3 con un peso de 2.8 kg (6 lb 1 oz), ahora pesa 3.4 kg (7 lb 11 oz). \u00a1Ya ha pasado de usar pa\u00f1ales micro-prematuros a prematuros, y ahora usa ropa de reci\u00e9n nacida!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahora, con casi 3 meses, nuestra peque\u00f1a guerrera tiene un largo camino por delante. Solo queda esperar la llamada: un nuevo coraz\u00f3n para Sarah. Ser\u00e1 el mejor regalo para Sarah y su familia poder finalmente traerla a casa, abrazarla y verla conectar con su hermano mayor, Victor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actualizaciones recientes en su blog y redes socials! Sarah Diaz Heart Journey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Asociaci\u00f3n de Trasplantes de \u00d3rganos para Ni\u00f1os (COTA, por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s) ayuda a ni\u00f1os y adultos j\u00f3venes que necesitan un trasplante que les salve la vida, brindando asistencia para la recaudaci\u00f3n de fondos y apoyo familiar. COTA es la \u00fanica organizaci\u00f3n de recaudaci\u00f3n de fondos en el pa\u00eds dedicada exclusivamente a reunir fondos vitales en honor a ni\u00f1os y adultos j\u00f3venes que necesitan un trasplante. El 100% de cada contribuci\u00f3n hecha a COTA en honor a nuestros pacientes se destina a cubrir gastos relacionados con el trasplante. Los servicios de COTA son gratuitos para nuestras familias, y las donaciones a COTA son deducibles de impuestos en la m\u00e1xima medida permitida por la ley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sarah\u2019s Journey: A Story of Strength and Hope La Historia de Sarah: Una Lucha de Fuerza y Esperanza Sarah\u2019s heart journey began on December 20, 2024, at 20 weeks of gestation, where she was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS) and fetal hydrops. Later she was also diagnosed with liver enlargement. 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