A new heart for a new life

To all reading this:

My name is Ana Maria Bădilă. I am a 33 year old Sibiu (Rumania) born mother, wife and daughter. It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to share my story and ask for help from all those caring people out here.

Back in 2007, when I was 17 years old after a routine checkup, the doctors found out that I suffered from a genetic heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM),which results in the thickening (hypertrophy) of the heart muscle making it harder for the heart to pump blood.

Back then my cardiologist recommended to keep a normal lifestyle but to avoid any physical activity. The next 12 years that followed were pretty normal, I went to school graduated from the University and met a wonderful man who I married.

After a while I started noticing I was getting easily tired and having shortness of breath which made me do further research about my condition. Initially the doctors explained my illness as not severe but the more test I did, the more alarming the results were. My heart was rapidly deteriorating and I was getting pronounced arrhythmia’s. After several conversations with a team of cardiologist they had decided that the best medical course would be to receive an ICD(Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator), a device able to perform defibrillation, and depending on the type, cardioversion and pacing of the heart, which generally lasts 5 to 7 years.
At the beginning of 2020 I had the surgery and received the ICD in Bucharest in the clinic where my current cardiologist interns. Finally, everything started to fall into place, and we thought we will have a peaceful life. However, life had different plans in store for us.
On August 2021 we received the news that I was pregnant which in my condition is a blessing you can only dream about. My husband and I, decided consciously to go ahead with the pregnancy knowing that there was an imminent risk of our baby inheriting the same heart condition. Little we knew though, the strenuous toll the pregnancy would take on my body.

To become a parent is a wonderful feeling and pregnancy is probably the most beautiful time in a women's life. Unfortunately for me, and my loved ones was a long and difficult road especially after contracting Covid on October, 2021. We had some very tough and difficult months were I was not sure that my baby or I, would make it through.
October 7^th 2021 marked a turning point in my life as I passed out and I woke up in the hospital after an episode of fibrillation ( irregular and chaotically heartbeats) and my heart and body were not receiving enough blood. This required external cardioversion. Without treatment it could lead over time to damage in the heart muscle and end in a heart failure.

My body was getting weaker day after day. Receiving medication was not an option due to the pregnancy. I was almost the entire 2^nd pregnancy trimester hospitalized. Very soon I started having contractions. On January 8^th right during my 28^thweek, our baby girl was born. Our small bundle of joy was only 850grams but she was since then a true fighter, with an avid appetite for life same as her mom. My tiny girl was in the NICU (Neonatal IntensiveCare Unit) while I was hospitalized in a different hospital; both of us fighting for our lives from different locations but in unison. As you can imagine, as a new mom not being able to see and hold your newborn baby is heartbreaking, and you feel hopeless and overwhelmed by all the feelings and thoughts. God gives you the strength that you need and when you think you can't fight on your own anymore He sends you wonderful people to help you. Ava, our daughter, was greatly being taken care of by a team of experts, who would take all the best medical decisions for her without me being by her side. She was making progress and developing as needed and my husband was allowed to see and be with her.

I was dealing with my own battles in a different hospital in a totally different city. Due to my heart condition I had severe complications after the delivery. It took me several months to be released from the hospital and be allowed to be home with strict rules and supervision (mostly bed rest and medications). My condition was and its difficult, and makes our lives as a family complicated, but I never gave or I’m dwelling to give up. I wake up every day with thirst for life and being a mother and seeing Ava growing and fighting to be here with us, motivates me to share my story and ask for help.

We are at the end of our financial resources, because of the many months I spent hospitalized, Covid, etc. Both my husband and I weren't able to work. We were fortunate to count with our family’s support but they do not have the financial means to continue supporting us.

A heart transplant has become my only hope of survival and seeing my daughter grow up and evolve into a wonderful woman one day. I have enrolled into the heart transplant list in Rumania as unfortunately, the number of heart transplants in my hometown is very low ( less than 10/year) which gives me very low chances to live a normal life as a young woman mother and wife, while the clock is ticking as my heart is progressively deteriorating.

Following medical recommendations, we have taken the -not easy-decision to relocate to Spain. On November 28^th I have the first appointment at Centro MédicoTeknon in Spain, a top leading hospital. With professional help I will be able to access an international transplant list which offers me and my family a chance for a normal life.
The research, in and outpatient appointments, an eventual heart transplant and more related cost exceed way more of what we can cover with our last life savings and after selling our home and a small business that we owned. This is the reason why I am here appealing to your generous and kind donation to be able to raise the needed amount estimated to be around US$ 250.000 – US$ 350.000
There is no small amount, everything helps and I am thanking you in advance for your kindness and wishing that your generosity will be returned to you, times fold.
This is my chance to recover my life and continue in this world sharing with my family and north.

The bank account is on the name of the association created specifically for heart transplant :

Name Account bank : ASOCIATIA O INIMA O SANSA - BADILA VASILE STELIAN

details : for Ana Maria Badila

IBAN: RO36BTRLEURCRT0645565701

Swift: BTRLRO22

God bless,

Ana Maria