It’s my party and I’ll… do a FUNDRAISER FOR ALEX

Dear friends (both real life and virtual)...

I'm 40 (July 21)! Happy Birthday to me. :)

Turning 40 feels like a moment to sift through life so far and to figure out where next. I certainly feel it being a turning point. It's time to switch from taking to giving. That's why I want to mark this milestone in my life by helping improve someone else's.

Meet Alexander. He's 8.

Alex has a broken heart. Just like our daughter Emanuela. He has had many complex open heart surgeries. What makes Alexander's life much harder is a life on the spectrum.

And that's the thing with seriously defected hearts - they always come in a package of troubles.

A father that left him and his three brothers didn't make it any easier. His mom struggles to make ends meet. All in all, they have it far from easy. She gives her boys all she has, but for autistic Alex - that is not enough.

How can you help?

Alex could easily have a better quality of life. Although he will never be like others, with the right support, he could thrive better and get developmentally closer to his peers.

Sasa Centrum (Poprad, Slovakia) provides special therapies for children with delayed development, impaired communication ability, ADHD (attention deficit disorder), behavioural disorders and autism spectrum disorders. They work with kids one-on-one and provide tailor made therapies.

Alex is currently attending their Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program during which they teach and train him new skills, usable in his everyday life. The Centrum uses the method of errorless learning. They focus on the development of both gross and fine motor skills. But his mom can afford this only once every two weeks. The health insurance does not cover it. What he needs is to be there at least twice, ideally three times per week.

• By donating 20 euros you help Alex get one more hour of therapy

The therapy will help him to live and cope in his world. It will help him make friends. It will help his mom to be a better, tailor-made parent. And it will give them all hope that life can be easier.

Your donation will make a tangible difference in the quality of his life.

A fundraising goal od 1.000 euros means

six months worth of therapies

to attend twice per week.

Why Alex?

We consider everyone from a "heart community" to be like an extended family member. But our particularly weak spot are underprivileged children because their broken hearts (and associated problems) hold them back in areas they could be doing better in, if only they would have the means. If only someone would invest in them.

When our Ema was three weeks old, she had her first open heart surgery. She was resuscitated and put on ECMO. It was as bad as it gets. We were told to basically manage our hopes for her survival. And not only did she survive! She thrives beyond anyone's comprehension! But we invested in her unmeasurably. She was lucky to have so many people, family and friends, to support her. And she is living proof that it's worth it.

Of course, everyone has their own limit to the quality of life they can achieve. But with a few more therapies weekly, Alex can have a better life!

Thank you for all your birthday wishes and good thoughts. But if you wanted to send me flowers or gifts, please, redirect that money here.

I have everything, and Alex needs so much more.

THANK YOU!