When she was just 18 weeks pregnant, Micheleen, learned that her baby would be born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped, as well as a cleft palate and cleft lip. A resident of North Florida, Micheleen and her fiance, Tyler, researched surgeons and hospitals that could treat their baby's condition, and landed on Nicklaus Children's Hospital, a nearly 10-hour drive from home.

Baby Theodore (or Tad, for short), was born in Miami a few weeks early and was brought to Nicklaus Children's by our LifeFlight team. At just 3-days-old, Tad had his first open heart surgery. At just 4-months, old, Tad has had several complicated surgeries and procedures, but he keeps fighting.

Help Tad and other patients like him get the expert medical care they need by making a donation to Nicklaus Children's Hospital below.