Caroline Fitzgerald is an incredibly brave little girl, just 11 months old, who has already faced more challenges than many people experience in a lifetime. Born with a rare and complex heart defect, Caroline has spent 190 days of her young life in the hospital, fighting with every beat of her tiny heart. Despite her fragile condition, she continues to show remarkable strength and resilience. Her story is one of courage, hope, and the relentless love of her family who stand by her side through every obstacle.

Soon, Caroline will undertake a critical trip from Georgia to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, where she will undergo a heart catheterization. This procedure is vital because it will determine the next steps for her treatment — whether she can have planned surgery or if she needs urgent open-heart surgery. The uncertainty of this moment weighs heavily on Caroline and her family, but it also brings hope that this intervention might finally improve her health and quality of life. The stakes are high, and the entire family is preparing themselves for what lies ahead.

Traveling for Caroline is an enormous challenge in itself. She depends on oxygen around the clock, uses a feeding pump 24/7, cannot walk, and requires a great deal of medical equipment to be transported safely. Her parents are not only managing all these complex medical needs but also caring for her two younger siblings, juggling the demands of daily life with extraordinary strength and determination. They are actively seeking advice and help from anyone experienced with flying medically fragile children, hoping to find the best way to get Caroline safely to Stanford. They are also exploring options like corporate jet programs that might donate flights for urgent medical cases.

Above all, Caroline’s family asks for support in any form — whether through prayers, kind words, or sharing their story to raise awareness. Each gesture of kindness helps lift their spirits and reminds them they are not alone in this fight. The love and dedication of her family combined with the hope for medical breakthroughs give Caroline the best chance at a healthier future. Her journey is a powerful reminder of the strength found in compassion, community, and the enduring hope that sustains even the smallest hearts in the hardest times.