El Paso natives adopt NICU baby, need to raise $200k for medical care not covered by insurance

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Love at first sight. That’s how one El Paso native couple now living in San Antonio describes the moment they first saw their now five year old daughter in the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) at the hospital.

However, this love story comes with some bumps in the road and now the couple is asking for the community to help in their journey of getting their adopted daughter do the one thing most of us take for granted, eating.

"It's just a miracle to watch this baby who wasn't supposed to make it do all the things that she wasn't supposed to do,” said Ana Chavez.

Chavez was a NICU nurse when she first laid eyes on her now five year old daughter, Natalie.

"I came on to her case and I treated it as I would any other patient and as soon as I saw her something just clicked and the rest is history,” said Chavez.

There was no doubt in Chavez mind that she wanted to adopt Natalie and her husband Adrian was on board as well, however his wife still had one minor detail to add to the story.

"And I said I have one more thing to tell you and he goes what is that and I said well, she's a twin and if we were going to do this we had to take both cause you cant separate twins,” said Chavez.

On August 15, 2016, Ana and Adrian brought home Natalie and one month later her twin sister Nadia would soon join.

Natalie was given a terminal prognosis by doctors when her adopted mom first met her.

"Her specialist said that he didn't even think she would make it to her six month birthday," said Ana, "We were highly encouraged to go home with hospice and I told them I didn't want to do it. I didnt wanna go home with hospice.”

Five years later Natalie is no longer terminal and she's doing everything doctors said she would not be able to do.
However, Natalie is still unable to eat normally and her parents are asking for help when it comes to giving their daughter the chance to eat like everyone else.

“She can't enjoy the foods that we enjoy," said Ana through tears, "She gets bored at the table because for her it's like she can't do anything and so we want to give her the chance to take part in those family meals.”

Both parents are hoping to travel to Boston to participate in an intense feeding clinic with the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Insurance will not cover the $200,000 cost that will include Natalie's therapy, school, and nursing care among other things.

“When we brought her home, I told my husband that my goal now is to give her the best life she can possibly have,” said Ana.

The family is hoping the community can help them continue giving their daughter the life she deserves, but there’s one special princess who is hoping for that wish to come true even more, her twin sister, Nadia.

"Well I want them to know that I always help her when she falls down and I want her to learn how to do everything that we do,” said Nadia.

The family is still a long way from reaching their goal of $200,000. Click here to donate to the family.