Ellie Sophia Nivoro was born on May 15, 2009 in Plantation, Florida. On May 17, 2009, she suffered a cardio-pulmonary arrest, which led to seizures and severe brain damage. She was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit at Miami Children's Hospital on May 18, 2009 for more specialized care. It was determined that the extent of the brain trauma was large and she had lost multiple abilities, including vocal cord paralysis, loss of hearing, inability to swallow and other complications. Ellie underwent three surgeries, including a tracheotomy. The team at Miami Children's Hospital was able to stabilize her well enough for her to come home.
In the months that followed her release from the hospital she fought hard to get better, through vigorous therapies and treatments but it was too much for her little body to handle. She passed away peacefully on October 25, 2009. Our promise to Ellie was that while her life was short, her legacy will be long. Through the Ellie Nivoro Fund at Miami Children's Hospital, we helped continue the important legacy Ellie left behind to help other sick children and their families. We realized how challenging it is to navigate through this difficult journey that so many children and their families go through and our hope is to help make their day a little better!