Desert girl with heart condition gives back this Christmas
A Coachella Valley 9-year-old who was diagnosed with stress cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome, is making the holiday season brighter for others in need.
We first met Kelly Gaona two years ago as her classmates in Desert Hot Springs helped raised awareness about her heart condition at the Jump for Heart event at Bubbling Wells Elementary. Now she’s giving back to those in need this Christmastime.
One by one she’s checking off her Christmas wish list, reading to the blind at the Braille Institute, feeding the homeless in the Coachella Valley and delivering toys to children in need.
“It just makes me feel happy,” said fourth grader Kelly Gaona. “It helps me feel better to help others.”
Kelly loves to sing and used to race BMX bicycles. Now she’s in and out of the hospital and it’s hard for her to walk. She’s one of four children in her family, all who have disabilities.
“Her Christmas wish has been very uplifting and enlightening. it’s brought a lot of hope to our family we didn’t know we had,” said Ashley Gaona.
Every day Kelly’s fighting to survive and she’s always in need of medical supplies.
Her family’s wish is to buy Kelly a tilt-in-space wheelchair to give her more independence and get her a trip to Disney World to meet Queen Elsa.
“We had plans to take her. She was finally tall enough to go. A week later, her dream went away because she went in the hospital. We’re hoping it’ll happen,” said Ashley Gaona.
If you’d like to support Kelly and help her get a wheelchair, medical supplies and trip to Disney, her family started a Go Fund Me fundraising account.
