Camila Gonzalez Itriago
Camila Gonzalez Itriago made her entrance to this world in 2018 as the first-born to Rei and Eva. Camila's condition was unknown to her parents during pregnancy and shortly after she came to the world, they received news that Camila had been born with DiGeorge Syndrome, also known as 22q.11.2 deletion syndrome. She was also diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia and MAPCAs.
Camila's condition was rare and for five months she fought for her life along with her parents at the Children's Hospital of Colorado CICU. Even though Camila was just a baby, she often displayed strength and endurance beyond her age and condition. Just a couple of days away from her open heart and lung repair surgery, she passed away.
After Camila's loss, her parents are dedicated to keep honoring her memory and support other parents who have lost children. Having a medically complex child was a life changing experience for this family and by keeping Camila's memory and story alive they strive to raise awareness about the importance of advocacy for medically complex children and also providing support for bereaved parents during the grief journey. Rei and Eva were born and raised in Venezuela and through Camila's legacy many contributions have been made in the last five years to help save and educate underserved medically complex children and families in Venezuela. If you want to learn more about their story, visit @hopeforcamila on instagram.