Kaira and Her Family

Kaira Jane Nakamura-Edwards is your normal, happy, soon-to-be three-month-old little girl. She loves her big sister, Aria, and her dog, Buzz. Her favorite toy is her elephant rattle, and she loves to tell her mom and dad about her day whenever they hold her.

However, on Wednesday, October 5th, Kaira's mom noticed she was panting and refusing to nurse. These behaviors had started the night before, and Kaira had a checkup scheduled for the 5th. While at the checkup, Kaira and her family received every parent and child's biggest fear: she was going through the stages of heart failure.

Kaira was rushed to a hospital for further tests, and they discovered that she had severe mitral valve regurgitation. Her tiny heart could not pump blood fully, causing it to swell and compress her lungs. If she did not get surgery to help lessen the regurgitation, she would not survive.

Thursday, October 6th, would be the longest day of her parents' lives. She would go through 8 hours of open-heart surgery to help her little heart get back to normal so she could continue growing into a strong, beautiful young woman.

Luckily, it seems as though the surgery was a success. However, the long road to recovery has begun, including a stay in the hospital for at least a month. Because Kaira is still a baby, her mother must stay with her in the hospital so that she can nurse and care for Kaira during the recovery process. Kaira's mom is a Japanese-English translator who works freelance, so she does not have insurance to cover her time away from work. Because of this unforeseen challenge in our lives, we ask for your help. Anything would be truly helpful to help our family remain financially stable during these trying times.

These funds will help cover the lost wages while Kaira's mother is in the hospital with her, along with transportation and hospital fees. With mom being in the hospital with Kaira for at least a month, the costs of living, including our 5-year-old daughter's school tuition, rent, utilities, transportation, and other expenses, are now being covered by dad's salary.

Furthermore, the funds will also go towards helping to cover travel expenses, time lost from work due to future appointments, and any additional costs that may come from this experience.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Kaira's story. We look forward to her growing with us and making the world a better place.