Grant helps young girl with heart transplant gain mobility
Shiloh's Story
Thanksgiving 2024 was a day of gratitude for Cynthia and Eduardo. After four years, they watched their daughter, Shiloh, take her first steps.
“We were like, ‘Oh my gosh, she did it! What a miracle,’” Cynthia said.
“(Doctors) said that she wasn’t going to be able to walk,” Eduardo added. “A lot of different things they tell you, but God has the last word.”
Shiloh’s progress is a testament to her determined and strong-minded personality. Her parents describe her as a true warrior.
Shiloh has needed every ounce of that strength and bravery from the start. Born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy1 and an atrial septal defect, she spent her first month in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). After weeks of numerous medical tests and scans, doctors determined she was going into heart failure and would need a heart transplant.
“She started getting sicker and sicker,” Cynthia said. “The doctors told us, ‘Mom, Dad, she is really at the end of her journey. Let’s stay hopeful, but she needed her heart yesterday.’”
Cynthia and Eduardo stayed optimistic, leaning on their family and faith as Shiloh was listed for a heart transplant.
“Even though there were so many bad things happening with Shiloh, we focused on that small, good thing we could hold onto and stayed positive,” Eduardo said. “Supporting each other is what we needed.”
Their positivity paid off when doctors delivered the news they found a match, and Shiloh received a heart transplant just a few months after birth.
Following the procedure, she began her recovery with multiple therapies, including physical, occupational, feeding and speech.
“She has come a long way,” Cynthia said.
To aid her mobility, Shiloh was a candidate for physical intensive therapy.
“Physical intensives are like camps for children where they go in twice a day and receive therapy for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon,” Cynthia said. “These intensives are every day, which helps the kids learn things faster. Repetition is key.”
With help from the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF), Shiloh’s family qualified for a grant to cover the cost of these therapies. Since 2005, UHCCF has awarded more than 37,000 grants valued at over $75 million. The funding covers medical expenses not covered, or not fully covered, by commercial health insurance plans.
“It was amazing to see her progress, and that she did end up walking, thanks to the grant and therapies provided,” Cynthia said.
As Shiloh battles other medical conditions, including a compromised immune system, chronic lung disease and severe obstructive sleep apnea, Cynthia and Eduardo remain hopeful for her future.
“We want to provide the best life for her so that she can thrive,” Cynthia said. “Our job as parents is to be there for her, help her achieve her goals and truly believe in her.”
“And never give up,” Eduardo added. “Never give up.”
Is your child eligible?
- Grant recipients must be 16 years old or younger at the time of application
- Must meet eligible income requirements
- Must be children under the care of a licensed medical professional with services rendered within the United States
- Primary coverage for a child must be by a commercial health plan, either through an employer or individually purchased. Secondary insurance through Medicaid or CHIP is permissible.
- Children do not need to be insured by UnitedHealthcare.
Do you know a family who could benefit from a children’s medical grant? The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is currently accepting applications. Visit UHCCF.org for more information on how to apply.
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