‼️ WHEN MYLA LIESKOVSKY WAS BORN IN NOVEMBER, HER PARENTS THOUGHT THEY WERE BEGINNING THE ORDINARY, BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY OF RAISING THEIR DAUGHTER.

They imagined watching her smile, hearing her first words, seeing her take her first steps and discovering the little personality that would make her uniquely theirs.

Instead, within days of her birth, doctors noticed something unusual.

A significant swelling had appeared on the left side of Myla’s face.

What followed was the beginning of a medical journey her parents never expected — one filled with hospital stays, scans, specialist appointments and difficult questions about a condition so rare that finding answers has been a challenge even for experienced doctors.

Myla spent the first month of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Rather than bringing their newborn home and settling into the quiet rhythm of new parenthood, her parents found themselves beside a hospital bed, waiting for test results and hoping the next examination would finally explain what was happening to their daughter.

Her mother, Samantha Lieskovsky, says doctors conducted numerous tests, including MRIs and CT scans. They could see that Myla’s blood vessels were developing abnormally, but the exact nature and severity of the problem remained unclear.

Eventually, genetic testing provided an answer.

Myla was diagnosed with capillary malformation–arteriovenous malformation, or CM-AVM, a rare vascular disorder involving abnormal blood-vessel connections.

The diagnosis gave her family a name for what they were facing, but it did not make the road ahead any easier.

CM-AVM can cause blood to flow abnormally through malformed vessels. In some cases, blood can move rapidly through these abnormal connections, placing stress on surrounding tissues and potentially affecting the heart.

For Myla, the effects have already been significant.

Her mother says the little girl experiences frequent bleeding around her teeth, gums and nose. Her vision and hearing have also been affected.

Behind every scan and medical term, however, is still a little girl who wants what every child deserves: the chance to simply grow, play and experience the world around her.

Instead, much of Myla’s early childhood has been shaped by hospitals, doctors and uncertainty.

And that uncertainty has been one of the hardest parts for her family.

Because CM-AVM is so rare, doctors cannot always predict exactly how Myla’s condition will develop or what challenges may appear as she grows.

Yet Samantha says her daughter has brought something unexpected into their lives.

“She has definitely changed our lives, but Myla has also changed our lives in a really positive way,” she shared.

That positive outlook has helped the family continue searching for answers.

They contacted specialists and medical centers in hopes of finding a treatment that would be safe for their daughter. The family even consulted specialists at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, but they were told there were currently no treatment options available there that were considered safe enough for Myla’s specific situation.

Still, they refused to stop looking.

In September, the family reached out to the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting people living with vascular disorders.

Through the foundation, Myla was able to attend a specialized clinic where families can meet experts from around the world who focus on rare vascular conditions.

Linda Rozell-Shannon, founder of the organization, described Myla’s case as particularly unusual because of the extent of her vascular malformation and her very young age.

Many vascular malformations may initially appear as relatively small marks and can change later in life, sometimes becoming more noticeable during hormonal changes.

Myla’s situation was different from the beginning.

Her condition was already extensive while she was still a baby.

For Samantha and her family, the journey remains filled with uncertainty. They do not yet have every answer, and they do not know exactly what the future will bring.

But they continue to search.

They continue to ask questions.

And most importantly, they continue to see Myla not simply as a rare medical case, but as their little girl.

A daughter who has already changed their lives.

A child who has faced challenges far beyond what anyone expected.

And a little fighter who continues to capture hearts wherever her story is shared. 🩷

🙏 Please keep Myla and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Pray that the right specialists and safest treatment options can be found.

Pray for strength for Samantha and her family through every appointment and uncertain day.

And most of all, pray that this brave little girl can continue growing, smiling and discovering the world despite everything she has already faced.

Myla’s journey is not defined only by the rarity of her condition.

It is also a story about a family refusing to stop searching for hope. ❤️🕊️🙏