Ella’s Army

Written by Brianna Marchant

There are some stories in life that you never could have imagined writing. Ella’s is one of them.

Ella was born at just 32 weeks — quite the surprise! After needing multiple rounds of IVF to have our son Nolan, finding out I was pregnant with Ella when Nolan was barely 3 months old was absolutely wild. Somehow, my first two babies ended up being just 9 months and 1 day apart.

Then, Ella decided she wasn’t going to make anything easy for us. She was born premature, weighing just 4 lbs. 5 oz., and spent about a month in the NICU learning how to eat and gain weight.

Once she came home, Ella continued to struggle to thrive. She was extremely underweight, and I brought her to the doctors multiple times because I knew something wasn’t right. Unfortunately, I was repeatedly dismissed and told she was fine.

At 6 months old, Ella developed RSV, and I brought her to the hospital. They did a chest X-ray and told me that her heart appeared enlarged and that her pediatrician needed to follow up.

I took her to that follow-up appointment, and once again, I was told she was fine.

But something in me — that mom gut — told me to keep fighting.

So I did.

Because Ella was still under 10 pounds at 6 months old, I pushed for an upper GI, thinking maybe she was having gastrointestinal issues that were keeping her from gaining weight. Instead, the test confirmed what the first X-ray had suggested: Ella’s heart was enlarged.

I took her to cardiology the very next day.

That is where my entire world fell apart.

Ella was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called ALCAPA (Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery). Her heart was functioning at just 8% EF, and she needed open-heart surgery within 24 hours.

Within an hour, Ella was rushed to Boston Children’s Hospital. The next morning, at 5:00 AM, she underwent open-heart surgery.

Ella was incredibly sick. She spent 8 weeks in the hospital and came home on 12 medications.

I was told that Ella had only about a 10% chance of making it to her first birthday.

But Ella had other plans.

Today, she is 4 years old. Her EF is now 61%. She is down to just two medications and is weaning off another. She is thriving, happy, healthy, and living life exactly the way a 4-year-old should.

She loves skating, dancing, being a girly girl, and most of all, she absolutely adores her two brothers. She is the middle child, our only girl, and without a doubt, she has brought a kind of strength and love into our family that we never knew we needed.

Our family owes so much to Boston Children’s Hospital. They gave us our daughter back.

And from that experience, Ella’s Army was born.

Since 2023, Ella’s Army has raised over $160,000 in support of Boston Children’s Hospital and the incredible children and families who rely on them.

Four years ago, we were told to prepare for the worst.

Today, we are celebrating our girl.

Happy 4th birthday, Ella.

You are our miracle, our fighter, and the reason we will forever be part of Ella’s Army.

And to every parent who has ever been told, “She’s fine,” but something in your heart tells you otherwise — keep fighting. Trust your gut. Be their voice.

Sometimes, that mom gut can save a life.