Ella Floyd Fund

FLOYD FAMILY ESTABLISHES THE ELLA FLOYD FUND IN LOVING MEMORY OF THEIR DAUGHTER

Halfway through their second pregnancy, Stephanie and Brian Floyd were given news that their daughter Ella had a congenital heart defect (CHD). Ella was diagnosed with a severely hypoplastic right ventricle and tricuspid valve. It wasn’t until she was born in February of 2018 that the true complexity of her condition was discovered. Dr. Gonzalo Wallis, pediatric cardiologist and medical director of the pediatric heart failure and transplant program at Atrium Health Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, informed Ella’s family that she was no longer a candidate for surgery to repair her heart. Instead, she would need a new heart and was immediately placed on the transplant list.

Over the next three weeks, Stephanie and Brian spent most of their lives in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Levine Children’s Hospital with their newborn daughter. On March 6, the Floyds were given news that Ella was approved for transplant, however, their daughter’s condition continued to deteriorate, and she sadly passed away before a new heart could be found.

Shortly after losing Ella, Brian and Stephanie knew they wanted to give back to support other families awaiting transplant at Levine Children’s Hospital. After careful research and planning, Brian and Stephanie established the Ella Floyd Fund in January of 2021 with an initial gift of $45,000. The fund provides special needs assistance for heart failure and transplant families at Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital, including rent and mortgage assistance, transportation assistance, nutritional supplements and food, adaptive equipment, and other related financial needs identified by Levine Children’s social workers.

Today, the Ella Floyd Fund has raised over $65,000 thanks to the determination of the Floyd family and the generosity of their loved ones. Now, Ella’s legacy will continue to impact the lives of countless families awaiting transplant at Levine Children’s Hospital.

Eleanor “Ella” Floyd was born in February of 2018. Brian and Stephanie with their son, Bane and daughter, Hollins