Walking for Athina the Warrior ❤️
If you've found your way to this page, thank you. Whether you're here to donate, join our team, or simply read Athina's story, it means more to our family than words can express.
Our beautiful daughter, Athina, was born with a complex congenital heart defect called Tricuspid Atresia with a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). From the moment she entered this world, our lives changed forever. What we imagined would be filled with newborn cuddles and bringing our baby home quickly became filled with hospital rooms, surgeries, feeding tubes, medications, oxygen monitors, and learning a whole new language of medicine that no parent ever expects to know.
At just three weeks old, Athina underwent her first heart procedure to place a stent and give her tiny heart a chance to keep fighting. Since then, she has endured more than any baby should ever have to. She has spent countless days in the hospital, battled RSV and COVID at the same time, undergone her life-saving Glenn surgery, relied on a feeding tube for nourishment, and faced challenge after challenge with a strength that leaves us in awe every single day.
There have been moments of fear that are impossible to put into words—waiting through surgeries, watching monitors instead of sleeping, celebrating oxygen numbers, and praying for the next good report. There have also been incredible moments of hope: hearing her laugh, watching her smile, seeing her grow stronger, and being reminded that even the tiniest hearts can hold the greatest courage.
Athina has taught us what resilience truly looks like. She has shown us that strength isn't measured by size, but by the determination to keep fighting, one heartbeat at a time.
None of this journey would have been possible without the extraordinary doctors, nurses, therapists, family, friends, and complete strangers who have supported us, prayed for us, checked in on us, and loved our little girl as if she were their own. We will never be able to fully express how grateful we are. You have carried us through our darkest days.
Today, we walk not only to celebrate how far Athina has come, but to honor every child and every family facing congenital heart disease. CHD is the most common birth defect, affecting nearly 1 in every 100 babies, yet it remains one of the most underfunded areas of research. Every step we take is in hopes of a future where more children have access to better treatments, more families hear hopeful news, and no parent has to wonder what tomorrow will bring.
If you're able, we'd be honored if you joined our team or made a donation in Athina's name. No gift is too small, and every contribution helps support research, education, advocacy, and families navigating this journey.
Most importantly, thank you for believing in our little heart warrior. Thank you for cheering her on, praying for her, and reminding us that we have never walked this road alone.
We can't wait to walk together—for Athina, for every heart warrior, and for a future filled with healthier hearts.
With love and endless gratitude,
The Resvanis Family ❤️