[COMMUNICATED] At first, we didn’t know what it was.
The doctors told us they needed to do some testing. By the next morning, we found out that our newborn daughter, Ester, was born with a skull that closed prematurely in utero.
Her brain would have no space to grow, and slowly pressure would build causing brain function to fail.
When she was 6 months old, Ester underwent an extensive 11 hour surgery to give her brain the space it needed to develop.
Boruch Hashem, she is growing up to be a healthy little girl.
But by age 5, she began to realize she looked different.
Now, when children in playgrounds stop and look, she understands it’s about her.
She began to ask me questions.
Why does she look this way?
Why do other children stare?
Why do her teachers speak to her differently?
Sometimes, I catch her standing in the mirror trying to figure out if she puts her hair a certain way, or if she wears a hat, maybe no one will notice?
Since she is emotionally and physically developing as her peers, she is acutely aware of her differences.
That can be very frightening for a child.
The good news is, there is hope for Ester.
She needs to undergo a cranial vault remodeling of her skull. The cost of this surgery is $210,000.
Insurance will not cover it, but our doctor has agreed to bring the cost down to just over $51,000 (besides for other hospital, travel, and administration fees). This discount is only valid for three months, so now is our chance!
I turn to you, as a mother, to please help my little girl.
A little girl with so much love, hope and smiles to give.
But who also feels alone. Different.
Who wants so desperately to be accepted by other children.
Help us give Ester the gift she can only dream of by donating here.