Born so early and with obstacles, Brianna Maria has overcome the odds. Today she is a bright child who wants to share her first creation and what she deems as the different elements of her dynamic personality, the "Heartlets".
I never wanted to make her fight a part of the business. I feared people would think that it was just a marketing ploy but her story is one of incredible resolve and should be shared
New York, NY (1888PressRelease) November 05, 2014 - Brianna's story is a story of overcoming adversity. She was born 3 months early a micro-preemie at 25 weeks gestation weighing approximately 1 pound. At birth the Doctors said she only had a 25 % chance of survival. The Doctors told her parents that if she did survive there was a good chance she could have physical or mental issues. Her parents never thought she would go on to be as creative and intelligent as she is today. Her parents spent 99 excruciating days in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) with Brianna willing her to survive, willing her to fight through the life threatening surgeries.
Brianna Maria had to undergo two life threatening surgeries in the first month of her delicate life. One for her heart, of which she has a scar that she wears as a badge of honor, and another surgery for her eyes that helped prevent her from going blind. Her parents talked to her, they read to her and they spent countless hours sitting beside her incubator. They spent the first 8 years of her life in and out of hospitals fighting viruses and multiple bouts of pneumonia. Today she is their miracle child and has beaten the odds by overcoming asthma and catching-up physically, emotionally and intellectually.
Brianna Maria is now a healthy and thriving 11 year old who is also the driving creative force behind her family business EscobarWorks. Her Father states, "I never wanted to make her fight a part of the business. I feared people would think that it was just a marketing ploy but her story is one of incredible resolve and should be shared". As the Art Director for her brand creation the Heartlets, Brianna makes all of the decisions during character creation. She picked all of the color combinations for the signature t-shirt line. She has an entire product line and world in store for the characters she created complete with names and back stories. Brianna also made the art decisions and design adjustments for their latest product, the Heartlets plush pillows. (on kickstarter.com)
Her fight early on directly contributes to the child she is today and the adult she will be tomorrow. She continues to overcome normal 6th grade obstacles in school between academics (new common core standards of learning), socializing and having to deal with bullying. "I feel like I am awkward and weird but I know I am cool in my own way" said Brianna. Brianna Maria continues to be a fighter and force in her own right as she struggles to navigate her way through the tween years. She dreams of being a pop star or a veterinarian but never giving up her position in the family business. She doesn't let the pressures of being a kid in today's world drown out her creativity. She often finds her peace in creating art, playing with her dolls and music.
Brianna's story proves that where there is a will there is a way. It proves that prayer and a loving family can give any child the strength to fight. She should serve as an inspiration for every family with a baby in the NICU. Her family hopes that more people get to learn about her story and what inspires her creativity. She will surely inspire you too!