Vera is a vibrant 4-year-old with a sparkle in her eye and a heart as big as her imagination. She is always on the move, running, laughing, and asking a million questions a minute. Kind, bright, and endlessly curious, she lights up every room she enters. But behind her boundless energy is a journey marked by courage, love, and the unwavering determination of a family that refused to give up.
Vera was born with Holt-Oram syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the bones of the arms and hands and can also impact the heart. According to the National Institutes of Health’s Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD), Holt-Oram syndrome is caused by mutations in the TBX5 gene and is characterized by abnormalities in the upper limbs, as well as sometimes congenital heart defects. For Vera, this meant being born without thumbs, pointer fingers, and a middle finger on each hand, making simple tasks like holding a toy or feeding herself uniquely challenging.
Still, Vera’s spirit never wavered. She found her creative ways to adapt, approaching every obstacle with joy and ingenuity. Her strength and tenacity inspired everyone who met her. But her parents knew she needed more than courage; she needed specialized surgical care that could give her the tools to thrive.
That care, however, was far from home, and the cost of frequent travel quickly became overwhelming. That’s when Vera’s family found Miracle Flights, and everything changed.
“They didn’t just offer us flights,” her mom says. “They offered us hope. They covered the weight of travel expenses, allowing us to focus entirely on Vera’s healing. From the first phone call, it felt like we had found people who truly cared.”
Thanks to Miracle Flights, Vera was able to undergo a complex, life-changing procedure, one that gave her something most people take for granted: a thumb.
A thumb, her mother says with tears in her eyes. That may not sound like much to some people, but to us, it means everything. It means Vera can feed herself. She can grasp her favorite stuffed bunny. She can give us a thumbs-up when she’s proud of herself.
Her journey isn’t over; more treatments lie ahead, but the transformation is already astonishing. Her confidence has grown. Her independence is blossoming. Her future is wide open.
For Vera’s family, being part of the Miracle Flights community means they are never alone. It means someone believes in our daughter’s potential enough to help her reach it, her mother says. That kind of support is priceless.
You can be that support. Your donation gives more than a flight; it provides a child like Vera the chance to soar.
