For Christmas, four-year-old Kandice wants a Baby Alive doll, but all her mom Derika Young wants is for her to be healthy.

That wish for Ms Young is more intense now then ever before because Kandice, who was born with Heterotaxy Syndrome, and pulmonary vein stenosis, has a chance at life with experimental surgery.

Hetropaxy Syndrome is a congenital heart disease, while pulmonary vein stenosis causes veins to close, cutting off the blood and oxygen to the lungs.

Since losing the use of her left lung, Kandice survives solely on her right, and must undergo constant treatment.

At her last visit, doctors at the Children's Hospital Boston in Massachusetts said Kandice had a chance for a healthy life courtesy of two surgeries which could possibly be performed in March.

The problem is Ms Young cannot work – she needs to be at home because Kandice gets sick frequently – and insurance will not cover the family's Boston stay while her daughter recovers from the operations.

Costs incurred by the trip abroad would only compound the family's mounting bills, the most significant of which is the $29,711.60 it owes to the charity LCCA.

She said: "We did a fund-raiser for her (as well as a further) three events for her and that money is being used for everything.

"We pay upfront and get reimbursed. Her fund fees are almost down to zero because I don't get any support.

"I am not able to work because of Kandice's sickness. I have been in and out of work since she has been sick. She could be hospitalised for ten days depending on how bad it is."

Either one of the possible operations — one of which would connect everything to the working lung — would require months of recuperation for the young child.

It would also mean months of expense for Ms Young, who also has three other children – ten-year-old Kyra, eight-year-old Kitorri and six-year-old Kevon – to look after.

The mother of four is now desperately trying to raise money to ensure the family can be there for her youngest daughter.

"Everything they do now on her is experimental. There are two surgeries they can do and both are risky.

"A single lung front-end surgery will mean everything will be connected to this one lung," she said.

"But they don't know if that will be successful. They have only done it in seven cases. It's a very risky procedure.

"She will be in ICU care for two- to four-months. They haven't really said what one they will get for sure, but I believe the front-end surgery.

"They are looking at long-term life for her and will use whatever technology is available to them. I believe she's a fighter, but they have told me if they do nothing it could cause death.

"So I have prepared myself for the worst because I have been going through this since she was born. She's has been through it all and she fights it."

According to Ms Young, Kandice is able to function in the same way as most children her age, but because of the disease she is easily tired.

"She's still in a stroller at the age of four because she tires very fast," she explained. "She can walk about two steps and then her breathing becomes very heavy.

"She is doing very well in preschool but we still have to monitor her, because of her limitations."

Although too young to fully comprehend the meaning of her diagnosis, Kandice knows that when she begins "coughing and her lips go a bluish/grey colour" it's time to rest, her mother stated.

"She knows when to stop herself because there's not enough oxygen for her to continue playing."

Taking prescribed medicine isn't a problem "unless she has to get a needle", Ms Young added.

"She knows she's different. She sees her scars (from previous surgery) so she's aware of that. She knows she has to take medication to help her and she knows she has to go away."

Hopefully, the surgery which is now a potential will change much of that.

"Without it, her (length of) life is risky," Ms Young admitted.

A series of tests focusing on Kandice's blood and oxygen flows are planned in March which will determine whether the proposed procedures will move forward then or at a later time.

"They don't know if her remaining lung will be able to take all the demands," Ms Young explained. "We've asked about a transplant but with pulmonary vein stenosis, the veins don't grow back.

"So even if they put in a lung it wouldn't (be of use) because there wouldn't be any veins and veins are necessary for oxygen and blood to flow to the lungs."

She added that she knew of one woman abroad whose child had been diagnosed with a similar condition and who opted for chemotherapy treatment.

According to Ms Young, the effect on the child was such that she was unable to conducting basic skills, such as walking and eating, without help.

"Right now, Kandice does everything for herself. As a last option I would've done it but it would take away so much."

As such, the family is banking on the doctors at the Children's Hospital Boston (although) "any surgery is risky because there is so much wrong with her heart," Ms Young added.

Persons wishing to make a donation may contact Sylvia Wade on 799-0869, or donate directly to Kandice's Bank of Bermuda account: 010-7355-38-011.