Ilaf does not play much, she does not run, and she cannot laugh for long, because her malformed heart tires before she does. A severe congenital defect steals oxygen from her small body, turning her face blue and sending her back to the hospital bed again and again. Her mother never truly sleeps. At night, she places her hand on Ilaf’s chest to make sure her heart is still fighting. Ilaf lives in a small room, on a rug and two thin mattresses. An income that barely covers a single breakfast, and growing debt at the neighborhood grocery store. The surgery is not a choice, it is a necessity. Every delay caused by poverty brings the danger closer. Save Ilaf’s heart before it is too late.
