Twelve hours after Daisy was born, we noticed her tiny feet turning purple.

At first, we thought it might be nothing—but Conner had a feeling we should call the doctor.

That call changed everything.

Daisy was rushed from our arms to Udine hospital, then urgently transferred again to Padova—all within her first 24 hours of life. We found out our perfect baby girl had been born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)—a rare and life-threatening congenital heart defect where the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped.

We had no idea. No warning. No time to prepare. Only the terrifying reality that our daughter would need multiple open-heart surgeries to survive.

HLHS occurs in approximately 1 in 3,800 live births. Without surgical intervention, HLHS is fatal—often within the first days or weeks of life.

Many children around the world don’t have access to the life-saving surgeries Daisy received. HeartGift helps change that by providing children in developing countries with the cardiac care they desperately need—completely free of charge.

Globally, 1 in 100 children are born every year with congenital heart defects. Over 90% of these children do not have access to the life-saving medical care they desperately need. HeartGift fills this gap, because where a child lives should not determine whether they live.