Born with a severe congenital heart defect, my granddaughter Estelle spent seven of her

nine precious months in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant—a heart that never

came.

Yet despite her brief life, Estelle inspired everyone around her: family, friends, and even

the doctors and nurses who cared for her so faithfully throughout her stay in the Pediatric

Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In fact, fifteen members of her medical team traveled more

than an hour and a half to attend her memorial service—a testament to the impact this

little girl had on those who knew her.

During her fight for life, Estelle's journey was featured in People Magazine, touching the

hearts of countless others who followed her story and prayed for her recovery.

What made her situation especially difficult was that it began with what was expected to

be a routine surgery to repair a hole in her heart. Doctors anticipated a hospital stay of

only a few days. Those few days became weeks, then months. Following a cardiac arrest

in December, Estelle was placed on the heart transplant list and began the long wait for a

donor heart.

Despite every setback, our family never stopped praying for a miracle. Along the way,

Estelle experienced several remarkable recoveries that renewed our hope. Through it all,

her parents, Estée and Conner, remained faithfully by her side, even sleeping in her

hospital room so she would never be alone.

To all who knew her, Estelle was a special gift from God. Her life touched countless

people, strengthened the faith of many, and even inspired some to begin their own faith

journeys.

Today, we want her story to continue.

This past Easter, I dedicated my book, Legend of the Wooden Star, to Estelle and her

courageous fight. A story about faith, hope, and miracles, the book now serves as part of

a larger mission to honor her life. Through the creation of Baby Estelle's Memorial Fund,

we hope to help other children and families facing similar challenges.

One purpose of the fund is to raise awareness about the critical need for pediatric organ

donation—especially heart donation. Many children Estelle's age wait for a donor heart

that never comes. During her time on the transplant list, Estelle reached the top of the

waiting list and had one potential opportunity for a donor heart. Tragically, that transplant

did not move forward, and no other donor became available in time.

We understand that organ donation is an incredibly difficult decision for any family facing

the loss of a child. Yet it also offers an extraordinary opportunity to give life to another

child and hope to another family. When medical treatment can no longer save one child's

life, the gift of organ donation can offer a second chance for another.

The first mission of Baby Estelle's Memorial Fund is to help educate families about

pediatric organ donation. Working alongside medical professionals and transplant

experts, the plan is to create an educational video as a resource that hospitals can make

available to families during their organ donor decision-making process. Our goal is to

provide compassionate, accurate information that helps families understand how their

child's legacy may be to save the life of another child.

Another important mission of the fund will be to provide financial assistance to families

whose child is facing extended hospital stays. Especially transplant-related challenges.

Families often spend months away from home, missing work and facing significant

financial burdens while focusing on their child's care.

Our family's wish is that Baby Estelle's legacy will be the gift of hope to other children

needing a heart or other organ donation, through transplant advocacy.

Finally, though her time with us was far too short, we believe her story is not over.

Through the Baby Estelle's Memorial Fund, she will touch other families going through

similar challenges.

Baby Estelle was a special star to all who knew her. Children everywhere, facing what she

went through, need her light to continue shining.