Dance for Alessia

Hi everyone. My name is Chelsey Testani, I'm from Fairfield, CT. I am a family friend of Mike Dragonetti and Monique Herles. A week and a half ago Mike and Monique were sitting on the beach with their 2 year old daughter, Alessia Mia. Flash forward to today, they are in the pediatric ICU awaiting emergency surgery on a girl who they were told will never have feeling below her chest again. Id like to share who their daughter is before explaining the gravity of their current situation.

Since Alessia was born, she has stolen the show wherever she goes. Since she was able to stand, she has loved dancing. She loves watching dancers on YouTube and emulating their different styles; without a doubt her favorite genre is club/party music. She is part diva, part Tomboy/maverick, and it is not uncommon to catch her doing push ups, squats and lunges... all while wearing kiddy high heels and a tiara. Aside from dancing, she loves playing outdoors with her two brothers Logan and Theo. She exudes energy and confidence and is a force to be reckoned with wherever she goes. Her preschool teacher once shared that she looks so innocent in her pig tails and dresses yet in the next breath stated that she is the toughest kid in the school. She went on to explain how she witnessed Alessia sticking up for herself when she was bullied and hit by a boy in her class; we still aren't sure how the boy made out.

A week ago, Alessia was in a car crash that severed her spine. The initial prognosis was that she would never walk again and would have serious complications with using her arms due to her spinal cord being fully transected. She also has severely damaged ligaments above the operative section which could potentially need a fusion. This would further limit her mobility. Doctors provided a glimmer of hope after being told that while it appears the cord is in fact transected, it is not definitive due to extensive swelling surrounding the spine. The name Alessia means "defending warrior" and it looks like her parents picked the right name. Through her determination and stubbornness, she has already done things that were thought incapable for a girl in her position. Her spinal fluid is leaking which creates potential complications for the multiple surgeries ahead, but her parents are standing firm in their faith that Alessia will be a success story. 

Alessia's current condition will mean a completely different world for herself and her family. She will need extensive services, medical equipment, and physical aid. In addition, her family will face their own financial difficulties in accommodating this new chapter of their lives. They are a family of 5, balancing the critical needs of their daughter while also finding a way to maintain normalcy for their two other children and attempting to plan for their financial future. Please consider donating to Alessia's fundraiser, or at the very least sharing her story. The money that is raised in this campaign will go straight to Mike and Monique's living expenses, preparations for bringing Alessia home, providing a wheelchair accessible environment (this may mean an entirely new living situation), and alternative treatments that may not be covered by insurance. All of the money raised in this campaign will go straight to the family! Our hope is that Alessia's story will go viral and she will receive a flood of support that will give her the inspiration to tackle anything that comes her way. We are using the hashtag #danceforalessia so please use this when sharing her story. She can't dance right now, so let's dance for her. <3 Thank you everyone!