Brachi need you

"My Mom keeps telling me that I'm a hero, but my heart is no longer brave. It's weak. And it won't be able to carry me around for much longer."

My name is Brachi, and I'm 5 years old already.

From the moment I was born, Mom and Dad saw that something was wrong, because I was born without an ear and with one little strange hand. It's a kind of illness that makes half my body not function properly.

When I was really little, I went through 2 surgeries because half my heart was not working properly. And since then – Mom is calling me "my hero". Whenever I go play at the park all the kids look at me and laugh and whisper quietly about how strange it is that I have only one ear, and some of them are scared of my little hand - even though it can't hurt anyone.

I walk home and Mom reminds me how strong and special I am, and how beautiful I am.

Lately, I feel that not only my hand and face are different - but my heart has stopped working properly.

It's hard for me to run and I get weak very quickly - and at night Mom puts a mask on my face that helps me breathe.

The doctor told us that because my body was growing now - my heart is not strong enough to support it anymore.

And if I don't have surgery to fix my heart - then it will stop working.

I love my entire body, I love life even though I'm different and my face and my hand are strange - and I don't want my heart to stop working.

I live in Israel and no doctor here can do the surgery I need - so I have to fly to the United States to go through some surgery that costs a lot of money.

I try not to be ashamed for being different - but now I'm a little ashamed to ask that you help me be healthy.

But I don’t have a choice, Mom and Dad don’t have the money to pay for the surgery I need to go through - and my heart won't hold out much longer.

Please, I deserve to live too, even if I don't look like a normal kid I feel and understand everything.

And yes, even though my life is different, I love my life and don't want my heart to stop working one day.

Please help me live, I need your support"