Special Hearts Association

Together we can make possible what seems impossible.

Help us give a chance at life to children with heart conditions and other complex health problems. Learn Maria's story, meet the children we help and find out how you can contribute.

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The biventricular correction was carried out successfully in 2026

Special Hearts Association

Our Story

Special Hearts Association is a non-governmental organization founded by us, Maria's parents, out of profound love for our daughter, hope, and the desperate need to give her a real chance at life.

Maria was born with a severe heart malformation, associated with ZTTK, an extremely rare genetic syndrome, which makes the option of a heart transplant impossible in the future.

So far, Maria has undergone five heart surgeries: the first three in Italy, and the last two at Boston Children's Hospital in the USA. We owe our daughter's life to the doctors in Romania and Italy, and we will always be grateful to them. Sadly, for her heart no more than palliation could be done there: the surgeries prolonged her life, but could not solve the cause. The treatment in Boston was the only real long-term solution, with the potential to restore her childhood.

The support of the people and companies who believed in Maria's chance has been essential in sustaining the family's efforts to pay for her treatment in Boston, in the United States.

The first surgery was carried out successfully in September 2025, and in 2026 the second intervention - the biventricular correction - was also carried out successfully: the stage we fought for over the years.

Her cardiac journey is not over: Maria needs long-term monitoring, and another intervention will be needed in the coming years. But we gained something extraordinarily important: time to grow, to recover and to be a child.

We founded this association to support Maria's fight in a legal, transparent and organized way.

The funds are directed towards medical treatments, investigations and therapies: for Maria, but also for other children in need, whom we support with part of the help we received.

We fought for our daughter's life and we cannot thank enough those who stood by us. But we can pay it forward. We invite you to be part of this effort.

Maria – Our Story

"[...] We received important news from Boston Children's Hospital (USA), where we sent the necessary documents for a medical opinion regarding the possibility of a biventricular correction. This intervention could prevent a heart transplant in the future.The doctors from Boston gave us hope: Maria could be eligible for this correction, through a procedure to stimulate the growth of the left ventricle. [...]"

Today, that hope has become reality. After five heart surgeries - three in Italy and two at Boston Children's Hospital - the biventricular correction was carried out successfully in 2026.

Learn more about Maria's fight, the stage she is at today and how you can keep contributing.

Read the full story

We gained time

The biventricular correction does not mean every problem is gone. Maria's heart will be followed long term, with follow-ups in Boston, and another intervention will be needed in the coming years, at the time recommended by the medical team.

But today we have something that seemed almost impossible during the first two and a half years, dominated by survival: time. Time for neuromotor rehabilitation, for learning to walk, to speak, to eat and, simply, to be a child.

We take everything step by step and help Maria recover as much as possible of what the illness, the five heart surgeries, the two gastrostomy-related procedures and the months spent in hospitals took from her childhood.

See "Maria today"

The good goes further

Special Hearts Association was born from the fight for Maria's life and from the impressive mobilization of people who believed in her chance. Maria remains the beginning of the story and the reason the Association exists.

We cannot thank enough everyone who stood by her: donors, companies, volunteers, partner organizations, medical teams, people who shared, prayed and offered us contacts and advice. Everyone placed something on the road that brought Maria this far.

But we can pay it forward. This is how we keep our promise: although the Association was founded for Maria, as far as we can, we help other children in need with part of the help received for her.

The good Maria received should not stop with Maria.

See the children we help

How can you help?

Donations support the Association's activity: Maria's monitoring and recovery, as well as the children we help further. If you want your donation to reach a specific case, write to us and we will tell you how it can be directed.

ASOCIAȚIA INIMI SPECIALETax ID: 51427430