Love for Louie

Samantha and Blair are a young married couple from Idaho. They welcomed their beautiful, healthy boy Louie Ray into the world this past August. Like most parents, they never dreamed anything bad would happen to their son. On Saturday, November 3rd, Samantha and Blair took their beloved three-month-old son Louie to the emergency room with what appeared to be a stomach virus. He had been vomiting that day and was lethargic, but had been fine the day before.

Their night took an unexpected turn when several tests revealed that Louie had a rare and serious condition called intussusception, where part of the intestine telescopes on itself. Louie was rushed to emergency surgery where his appendix was removed and his intestine was repaired. Unfortunately, this was merely the beginning of Louie's battle.

While in the NICU recovering from his abdominal surgery, Louie was diagnosed with Enerobactor Virus (EV) - another uncommon but serious ailment. EV can cause acute paralysis, and the doctors became concerned when they noticed Louie was showing signs of weakness/paralysis in one leg. Louie was weak from the virus and surgery, and had to be placed on a ventilator because he was struggling to breathe on his own.

On Sunday, November 4th, Louie developed an infection and was rushed in for a second abdominal procedure during which 40% of his bowels had to be removed. His kidneys began to lose function, so Louie is now being transferred to a facility in Utah for more intensive care.

Louie still has a big fight ahead of him, and Samantha and Blair are away from home with little support. Donations will cover food, toiletries, supplies and any medical expenses needed for the family. Even the smallest donation could make a world of difference for them during this incredibly difficult time.