Hi. My name is Michaś. My dream is simple: to be an ordinary boy. To go to kindergarten, run, jump, swim, and play football like other children. But with only half a heart, this dream seems fragile, uncertain… and at times, impossible.
We learned about Michaś’s heart defect while I was still pregnant. The news was a shock—I cried, I couldn’t believe it, and I clung to the hope that further tests would prove the worst-case scenario wrong. But from that moment on, instead of the carefree joy of pregnancy, fear consumed me. Every thought was dominated by the question: would our little one survive?
Michaś was born on December 14, 2017, at UJASTEK Hospital in Krakow with a severe heart defect: HLHS (hypoplastic left heart syndrome), meaning he lacked a functional left ventricle. The very next day, he was transported in critical condition to the University Children’s Hospital in Prokocim. He waited there, supported by life-saving medication, for surgery that would decide his fate. I discharged myself immediately and ran to his side. He was tiny, fragile, defenseless—hooked to machines with wires running everywhere. My husband and I stood there, heartbroken and helpless, unable to do anything but watch.
On December 17, 2017, Michaś was baptized in an emergency ceremony. Four days later, on December 21, he underwent the first of three life-saving surgeries. Instead of celebrating Christmas or his sister’s birthday, he spent his first holiday in the ICU. Complications arose during intubation: laryngeal nerve paralysis made eating and swallowing impossible, and he couldn’t even cry. It was a terrifying ordeal, but Michaś endured it bravely.
On my birthday, December 30, the nurses allowed me to hold him for the first time. For 45 precious minutes, I held my son, crying, laughing, and praying. Those three months in the hospital were grueling. Each day, I watched him fight for life, until finally, he was discharged. But joy was fleeting. Two days later, Michaś’s oxygen levels dropped, he turned blue, and we were rushed back to the hospital. Another week of tests and treatments followed before we could finally bring him home again.
Life at home was fragile but precious. Michaś’s sister, Nikolka, adored him and proudly spoke of her little brother, though she couldn’t understand why he only had half a heart or why hospital visits were so frequent. Despite our best efforts, Michaś’s health deteriorated: oxygen saturation dropped, breathing was labored, and eating became a struggle. Another surgery became inevitable.
Through the kindness of other families with children facing the same defect, we secured a consultation with Professor E. Malec, one of the world’s leading pediatric heart surgeons. Michaś was qualified for the next stage of surgery, which had to be performed in Germany in June 2018. We placed everything at risk, trusting that he would be in the best hands for a chance at a longer, healthier life.
On June 21, 2018, I was allowed to carry Michaś into the operating room. I stroked his head as anesthesia took effect. Calmly, he went into surgery, unaware of what lay ahead. My husband and I were devastated, praying for our son, hoping for a safe return. Hours passed like years, and finally, we received the call: the surgery was successful, Michaś was breathing on his own, and he was expected to go home in ten days.
But fate had more challenges. Administration of heparin caused a hematoma in Michaś’s brain to rupture, spilling blood over a quarter of his brain. Tests including EEG, ultrasound, and MRI were required. He suffered generalized seizures, extending our hospital stay by two weeks. Only after more testing could we finally bring him home.
Even now, the fight continues. Michaś’s days begin and end with a regimented routine of heart and anti-epileptic medications. Regular follow-ups in Germany—MRI scans, EEGs, ultrasounds, and echocardiograms—are essential. We have exhausted our savings on previous surgeries, yet the mounting costs for the third stage, travel, and tests are overwhelming.
We will do everything in our power to save Michaś. We cannot imagine life without him. Every donation, prayer, and word of encouragement brings hope. This little boy, with only half a heart, has shown more courage than most adults could ever imagine.
We ask for your support. Help Michaś continue his fight, and help his dream of being an ordinary boy one day come true.
