Miracles can and do happen

Nelson Palacios is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Hello, my name is Noel. I'm 9 years old and I have a dream of becoming a professional soccer player one day.

I have been given another opportunity at life and I'm very thankful to be alive thanks to God and the wonderful staff at the University of Iowa that worked tirelessly to make sure I survived after my heart stopped while only being a week old at the NICU. The staff at the children's hospital rushed to see what had happened and realized I was dead and alerted a team of specialist to come quickly and try to revive me. After connecting me to stickies and wires, and dunking me into ice water several times, I finally started breathing again and the miracle had been made.

The first 3 years of my life were very difficult because my parents had to give me medicine literally every 2 hours to make sure my heart and lungs strengthen up as I was not fully developed due to being a premature baby. Because of the medications, I ended up having a decay form in my baby teeth and ended up having to have 8 teeth removed when I was only 2 years old. If they hadn't been removed, the decay would have grown into my cranium and lead to a lot more severe issues for me, they had to be removed. Even to this very day, I still have to carry around 2 different inhalers with me just in case of an emergency. It's been a struggle but I have faith that everything will be just fine in the end. I know I wasn't given another opportunity at life just because!

I've had to get rushed to the ER multiple times because my oxygen levels drop to a dangerous level and sometimes spent a week at a time there until my oxygen levels rise back to where I can safely be released.

I'm asking for help because it's not easy to make a dream come true without the necessary support and funds for it. I have the support of my parents and grandparents but even with that, things aren't as easy as I wish they would. For me, soccer isn't just a sport, it's a way of life and I'm very passionate about it. I truly believe I was given another opportunity in life to be able to help others but to be able to help, I must first do my best and never stop trying. I want to be able to show the world that dreams really can come true if you truly believe in yourself and never give up. Especially for the kids all over the world that have had an issue while at birth and all premature babies like myself, miracles can and do happen.

I am part of an amazing soccer club where I live called Pearl City Soccer Club and this is where it all started

. My passion for the sport begins here thanks to the coaches and other teammates. I have learned a lot and I have now been given the opportunity to participate in a training camp in the official Bernabéu stadium of Madrid, Spain

. My dream of becoming a professional soccer player and helping kids all over the world is big and I'm asking God every day for him to open doors to make this possibility a reality.

I will forever be very thankful with everyone who finds it in their heart to help me with anything at all. Please help me get to Madrid and know that you are being part of something positive to help my dream come true so that I may one day also be able to help kids all over the world