Caroline
The Resilience of Our Daughter: Caroline’s Story
Hi, friends, family, and everyone who has come across our story. We wanted to take a moment to share an update on our incredible girl, Caroline. If you’ve followed her journey, you already know that this child has faced more obstacles in her short life than most do in a lifetime. Yet, despite it all, she continues to defy every odd placed before her.
Caroline has a way of reminding us what truly matters in life. She has faced pain, fear, and the unimaginable, and still, she smiles. She laughs. She finds joy. Her resilience is breathtaking, and as her parents, we are constantly humbled by her strength.
After months of uncertainty, we finally have some answers about her condition. Caroline has a rare and complex congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and MAPCAs. It’s exceptionally difficult to treat because every patient’s anatomy is different and Caroline’s heart doesn’t allow for the standard surgical repair typically used in these cases.
At just eight days old, she underwent her first open-heart surgery at CHOA to place an MEE shunt, which was meant to help her tiny pulmonary arteries grow enough to prepare her for a full heart repair. We thought that surgery would hold her over until then. But on December 11th, 2024, everything changed.
Caroline was readmitted to CHOA’s ICU for hypoxia and aspiration after a cardiology visit revealed low oxygen saturation. Over the following weeks, she bounced between intensive care and acute care as her team worked to understand why her oxygen levels continued to drop. After multiple echocardiograms and a CT scan, we learned that her shunt had closed, meaning our baby girl had been surviving with almost no pulmonary blood flow for weeks.
This devastating discovery meant she would need another open-heart surgery, this time to place a different type of shunt in hopes that her pulmonary arteries could continue to grow. That growth is absolutely essential for her survival. We are praying every single day that this next surgery is successful.
Even after everything she’s endured… hospital stays, surgeries, tubes, and endless monitoring, Caroline continues to shine. Her laughter is a gift. Her fight is constant. And her spirit is unbreakable. It’s impossible not to be inspired by her.
We are incredibly grateful to finally have all three of our children under one roof again. Our home feels whole, and we’re looking forward to celebrating birthdays together with their baby sister. The little things mean so much more now, the sound of their laughter, the warmth of having everyone together, the peace of simply being home.
Thanks to the generosity of so many, recent donations have helped us equip our home with specialized feeding apparatus and medical equipment that weren’t covered by insurance. We’ve also been able to secure safe transportation for the colder months ahead, ensuring Caroline can travel to and from her appointments comfortably and securely.
But our journey is far from over. Caroline turns 1 on November 4th, and she has already spent 190 days in the hospital since birth. Soon, she’ll travel from Georgia to Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for a critical heart catheterization. This procedure will determine whether she’s ready for a full surgical repair or if she’ll need another urgent open-heart surgery.
Getting her there is a challenge in itself. Caroline is oxygen-dependent, on a 24/7 feeding pump, non-ambulatory, and requires extensive medical equipment to travel safely, all while we continue caring for her two older siblings. We’re currently seeking guidance from anyone with Delta Air Lines connections or experience traveling with medically fragile children, as well as corporate jet programs that help families reach medical treatment centers across the country.
Above all else, we ask for continued prayers for Caroline. Please pray for her strength, for the wisdom of her medical team, and for peace as we face each new step. Your love, messages, and support continue to lift us in ways we can never fully express. Every kind word and every act of generosity truly makes a difference.
Caroline has shown us what true courage looks like. She is a living reminder that joy and hope can exist even in the darkest moments. Hug your babies a little tighter this season… we know we will.
With love and gratitude,
The Fitzgerald Family
