Mike Aquilina is a young man who happens to be good friends with a turtle breeder, and when this friend told him about a baby albino turtle who desperately needed a home, Mike was only too happy to step up.

The pink-bellied side-neck  turtle, who Mike named Hope, was also born with her heart beating outside of her chest. This condition is so rare in animals that medical experts have yet to even give it a name! Mike explained that Hope has improved his life dramatically ever since he took her into his New Jersey home.

“Hope has changed my life for the better in such a short amount of time,” he said. “I keep her water extra clean, give her a basking area that is as soft as possible and handle her as little as possible.”

Because of her deformity, Hope has to be kept clean all the time, which means she has to be kept away from other turtles.

“I’ve gone for the more natural approach as to a completely sterile one,” Mike explained. “The goal is to keep her deformity clean and her immune system strong. I can’t risk another turtle accidentally puncturing her heart cavity.”

‘Though she is incredibly fragile, Mike said that Hope also has no fear.

“Hope has impacted my life in so many ways it actually makes me emotional,” Mike said. “She’s so small and so fragile, the most delicate thing but she’s fearless. People can see that and she’s got so many people rooting for her around the world. She’s spreading hope while also giving me hope.”

Meet Hope for yourself in the video below!