💔 At 2 Years Old, Eliza Is Fighting to Swallow Again After a Devastating Medical Crisis

She left Texas expecting a family vacation.
Instead, a 2-year-old girl was rushed by medical helicopter to one of the country’s leading hospitals.
Now, months later, her family is preparing for an extraordinarily difficult surgery that could leave her sedated and intubated for weeks. 🙏🕊️

Eliza Kathryn Garulle was visiting her great-grandmother in Minnesota on July 7 when she suddenly became critically ill.

Her father, Louis Garulle of Cedar Park, Texas, says Eliza was life-flighted to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where doctors discovered a serious medical problem the family had never known existed.

Eliza had a severe narrowing in her esophagus measuring approximately four centimeters in length. Her father says the opening was only about the width of a coffee straw.

Doctors believe a vomiting episode may have caused the esophagus to perforate, allowing fluid to enter her chest and contributing to a collapsed lung.

The little girl was suddenly fighting for her life.

For approximately two weeks, Eliza remained on a ventilator while chest tubes were used to drain fluid from around her lung. Because she could no longer safely swallow, feeding tubes had to be placed directly into her stomach and small intestine. 💔

For her parents, watching their daughter endure such an overwhelming medical crisis was devastating.

“Watching your baby fight for every breath, swollen and covered in tubes and wires, changes you forever,” Louis shared.

Eventually, Eliza became stable enough to leave Minnesota and return home to Texas.

But coming home did not mean the medical battle was over.

Her family is now consulting pediatric surgeons and gastrointestinal specialists around the country after being told that Eliza’s damaged esophagus cannot be repaired in the usual way.

Doctors are discussing an extremely complex operation that would use a section of Eliza’s small intestine to create a new pᴀssage. The hope is that the procedure could eventually allow the little girl to swallow and eat safely again.

But the road ahead could be incredibly difficult.

According to her father, Eliza may need to remain intubated and heavily sedated for as long as two months following the operation.

Afterward, she could face years of physical and speech therapy as she learns how to swallow, eat and safely use her new digestive pathway. ❤️‍🩹

And through all of this, Eliza’s parents are carrying another major life change.

Her mother, Ariel, is seven months pregnant with the couple’s second child.

Instead of simply preparing to welcome a new baby, Louis and Ariel are simultaneously trying to understand how to help their little daughter through a potentially life-changing medical procedure.

For this family, the future is filled with uncertainty.

But they are holding onto hope.

They are hoping surgeons can find the safest possible path forward. They are hoping Eliza’s tiny body will be strong enough for everything ahead. And they are hoping their daughter can eventually return to something closer to the childhood she deserves. 🙏💗

Their story is now drawing prayers and support from people who have never met Eliza but are moved by the strength of this little girl.

At only two years old, she has already endured more than most children could ever imagine.

Now her family is asking for prayers—not only for Eliza, but also for the doctors who will help determine her next steps and for Louis and Ariel as they prepare to welcome another child while facing their daughter’s uncertain future.

There is still a long road ahead.

But Eliza is home.

She is still fighting.

And her family is still holding onto hope. 🕊️💗

🙏 Please keep little Eliza Kathryn in your prayers. Pray for her surgeons, her strength, and for the entire Garulle family as they face what comes next. ❤️‍🩹