Angelica Liz Moreno Roman

Angelica Liz Moreno Roman is a 10-month-old baby. She was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot and DiGeorge Syndrome. At 2 days old, she had her first open-heart surgery at OU Children’s Hospital. After 2 months of recovery in the CICU, Angelica was able to go home. After lots of fun and adventure, Angelica unfortunately got sick with rhinovirus. She was admitted on oxygen support and for observation. While doing routine tests, the doctors found that Angelica’s aorta was leaking; in other words, Angelica’s heart was failing. Due to her previous medical history, her team decided that the best course of treatment for her would be a partial heart transplant. After 4 months of waiting, on April 29th, 2026, Angelica received her partial heart transplant, making her the first kid in Oklahoma to get this procedure done. 

Other than being a strong baby girl, she is also a baby sister. She has an older brother named Miguel. They love to play and snuggle, but what they love most is going to the park and enjoy the fresh air. Even though she has gone through so much, she still has a bunch of smiles to give. From doctors to nurses, from therapy techs to sitters, everyone who has cared for her at OU Children’s can testify that she has a big personality for her tiny body. 

Due to Angelica’s diagnosis and medical needs, she needs months of therapy to help her recover to the fullest. After 2 open-heart surgeries, she will need physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Since her needs are so complex, not every therapy center has the help she needs. This means she will need to go to different therapists. She will also need close monitoring from the Transplant Team, as well as her regular pediatric appointments. Even though she lives in the city, Angelica lives 30 minutes away from the hospital, meaning that it takes a total of 1 whole hour to get to and from Angelica’s appointments. All this traveling has put a major strain on the car the family shares. 

While Angelica was recovering from her heart transplant, the family car was causing issues. The family had to spend close to 700$ on repairs. This makes it extremely hard for the family to have a sense of stability, especially since the family became a one-income household after Angelica’s diagnosis. Angelica’s family is fundraising to cover traveling expenses such as gas, tolls, car maintenance, and a reliable car. 

Angelica’s story is one for the books… Quite literally. Thanks to her and the amazing team at OU Children’s, many other kids will benefit from this new procedure. We also want to honor the donor’s family, who, even in such hard times, decided to donate their loved one’s organs, subsequently saving Angelica and many others. 

Any donations made in Angelica’s honor to Help Hope Live will be immensely appreciated. We would also love it if you share Angelica’s story with friends and family. Angelica’s family plans to do multiple fundraisers. If you or anyone that you know wants to contribute to these, please contact Angelica’s mom at [email protected]