Catalogue of Chicks

Welcome to the Catalog of Chicks — a place where you can meet everyday women and read about their extraordinary acts of bravery and courage. We hope you are inspired by their stories — we certainly are!

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<<Previous Chick Next Chick>>Savannah Anselmo
Pembroke Pines, FL
Submitted by: Ana AnselmoSAVANNAH ANSELMO –
Pembroke Pines, Florida

This month’s Featured Brave Chick is Savannah Anselmo. Savannah and her story are a beautiful example of a Mother’s love for her child and the overwhelming special bonds within the sisterhood of Motherhood. We were humbled by the powerful gift that one Mother so selflessly gave to another Mother.

Savannah was born December 5, 2006 to the delight of her parents. They have been married for 14 years and she is their only child. Savannah was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia in April 2007. Biliary Atresia affects approximately 1 in 15,000 births. The disease causes inflammation and obstruction of the bile ducts which results in the back up of bile in the liver. The bile destroys the healthy liver and forms scar tissue further trapping the bile and causing cirrhosis of the liver and finally liver failure. Savannah currently has cirrhosis of the liver and without a liver transplant she will not live.

The doctors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania recommended that she undergo a life-saving liver transplant. On December 29, 2007, Savannah received her "Gift of Life"...she received her liver transplant. Savannah is now post-transplant and living a beautiful and fulfilling life!

Savannah & her parents just before her surgery.

We received the following Featured Brave Chick submission from Savannah’s mother – Ana. We were particularily moved by the powerful gesture that one mother who was about to say good-bye to her beautiful baby was able to give another mother who was so desperate to save her beautiful baby. The acts of selflessness and human kindness embodied in the story leave us speechless.

Savannah - a beautiful brave chick

HERE ARE ANA'S WORDS ABOUT HER DAUGHTER AND THE FAMILY THAT GAVE HER THE GIFT OF LIFE -

My Warrior Princess, Savannah, is the bravest chick I know and the family of our donor angel our the bravest family I know. Savannah is two years old - the same age that our donor angel was when we received our Gift of Life. In these two years of Savannah’s life - she has taught me more than any other person. She was born with a rare liver disease named Biliary Atresia. Unfortunately, by the time she was 4 months old her disease had progressed rapidly and she required a liver transplant.

Due to the shortage of organ donors in our country we had to wait for Savannah to receive a liver. During our 8 month wait, we watched this brave little chick struggle to breath, vomit after feedings, have blood in her stools and countless of other physical problems that led her in and out of doctors offices and hospitals.

Savannah & her dad (aka Super Papi) at the beach celebrating her life.

When I heard that my baby girl would need a liver transplant or she would not see her second birthday my heart stopped beating. My Warrior Princess, on the other hand, took it like the bravest chick you will ever meet. Although on a daily basis she had to fight to live - you would look at her and she would smile at you showing those big dimples of hers. She would be in a hospital bed sitting up trying to grab the IV polls with her feet and make you laugh. She would wait until her father's 40th birthday to say her first word, "DaDa". She is amazing! She is a Warrior Princess! She is One Brave Chick!

Today, she is here...she is with us because of the bravest decision a family could ever make. She is here because when another little one passed away their family chose to save my daughter's life. In their grief, they thought of those they could save - that is the truest act of bravery I can think of. Our donor angel's family saved my little brave chicks life. They gave her the GIFT of life through their act of donating their child's liver.

Savannah & Elmo

Savannah continues to be the bravest little chick I know. She is a precious two year old who loves shoes and Elmo and yet tougher than you will ever know. Tomorrow we are off to get labwork done - "a pokey"- and she will cry because now she understands. She understands that this disease is unfair and "pokeys" are not fun. But with Elmo and her Mami on her side, there is nothing she should be afraid of. She has taught me that it is okay to cry - just never stop trusting in each other.

We have never met our donor angel’s family. All we know is that our angel was 2 years old. We may never meet them. We think of them and thank them daily. My excitement comes from the fact that you will feature the story and may in turn save someone else’s baby. One in three people die simply waiting for their chance to receive an organ transplant and have a chance to fight for their lives. I do not think that people are aware of the desperate need for organ donation and how TRULY appreciative those who are recipients are.

I have been asked many times how it was to wait for someone to pass away so my daughter could live and as it was explained to me, I answer - we did not wait for someone to pass away. Unfortunately, people pass away everyday. We simply waited eight months for someone to make the right decision in their grief. Although we do not know who they are we are allowed to mail letters to them. I have no words to express my gratitude so I created a scrapbook of the year they have given us through their Gift and sent it to them and will do so every year for the rest of our lives...for every moment we have with our child is due to this Gift.

I want to thank our donor angel's family for allowing us to have her here with us today. Thank you to all of those family who choose organ donation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Savannah & her mom - two brave chicks!

My brave chick is my Warrior Princess!

XOXO,
Proud Mami of the Warrior Princess
Ana Anselmo

http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=59ca81f7a5eaefb6515793&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

The link above is a beautiful video tribute that Savannah’s family put together to celebrate, honor and thank the family that made their brave and selfless decision to donate their late daughter’s organs. It is touching, inspiring and makes you appreciate each and every second we have with our beautiful loved ones.

If you would like to learn more about Children’s Organ Transplant, please visit Savannah’s website within the Children’s Organ Transplant Associations by visiting www.cotaforsavannaha.com. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-needy patients. <<Previous Chick Next Chick>>