On May 23, 2013 Alyssa passed away, surrounded by her dad and I, her brother Antonio, and her Uncle and Aunt, We watched her take her first breath, when she came into this world our perfect little angel and were there when she took her last breath, now our angel in Heaven watching over us, truly missed by many.  Alyssa taught me so much in her short time on this Earth, she is my one true Hero, someone I will alway strive to be like.  I would always tell her I dont know why God chose you but your here to teach us all something about life, I dont know exactly what but you our so special, always remember that.  Alyssa always said she would never change anything about her life, her illness, she excepted it and never let it slow her down, she lived with faith, hope, and dreams, believed in God and believed there was a reason for everything and that some day she would know why he chose her.

Alyssa celebrating her 5 yr anniversary with her new lungs, but a few months later she went into chronic rejection, again we were told theres nothing left they could do, her only hope was to go back to Houston Texas to be evaluated for a 2nd double lung transplant, so thats what we did, after 6 weeks they listed her and April 21, 2012 she received the gift of life a second time.  How blessed we truly felt.  Things didnt go like the first time everything that could go wrong did, so many complications, and having one kidney this second transplant really damaged it.  Alyssa was in and out of the hospital for 8 months.  Alyssa finally said my goal is to be back home to celebrate her 18th birthday with her family.  They let us go home on December 12th and Alyssa celebrated her 18th birthday on December 17th with family and friends.  On December 26th, Alyssa was admitted into the hospital in renal failure among other things, we spent 6 weeks in the hospital when we were told there was nothing left they could do the best thing was to take her home, and thats what we did they sent her home on hospice at best she had a month.  I could'nt except this and wouldnt let her, we were told all the time she won't pull through yet she always did such a fighter never giving up. 

Alyssa was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, we knew something like this would happen did not know exactly because they could not tell us when she was a baby, she started to get very sick very fast, she was on oxygen 24 hours and was loosing alot of weight, burning calories trying to breath, our doctors here in Florida told us that there was nothing more we could do her best chance was to send us to Texas Childrens Hospital to be evaluated for a double lung transplant, so we got in our car with enough oxygen to last the trip and off we went.  The doctors there said yes they would list her and within a 7 days of being listed her doctor walked in and said "we have lungs" Alyssa received her new lungs on July 27, 2006.

Alyssa did so well there were really no issues or problems, it was our new normal, lots of meds, lots of doctor appts, lots of a lot of things, but most important she could run and play and do most of all the things a pre teen would do.

It was always in the back of my mind that only 50% of pediatric patients make it 5 years, it was not a cure just a better quaility of life, but my Ellie was gonna be the 50% that made it past 5 years.     

When Alyssa was 13 months old she was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor stage 4 (kidney cancer), something a parent never wants to hear, I can still remember those words.  Three days later they removed the tumor and her left kidney.  Alyssa started chemo for 6 months and had 12 rounds of radiation to her abdomine, at a routine ultrasound before her last chemo treatment, they realized the cancer had  spread to her lungs, she had relapsed.  the doctors started her on stronger chemo drugs and more radiation to her lungs, they knew that radiating lungs at a young age would cause some sort of lung diesase, but knew they did not have a choice at that time so thats what we did, Alyssa continued treatment and at the age of three was CANCER FREE, what ever parent wants to hear.

The day you were born was the happiest day of my  life, you were perfect, you were like a doll with porcelin skin, as time went on I realized you were such a fighter and so very strong willed and full of attitude, God made you that way he knew what you would endure in your life here on earth.