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THE BACKSTORY
It all started with what was supposed to be an enjoyable trip to northern Illinois to spend time with family for Thanksgiving. Jacob, Evelyn (our 19 month old daughter), and I boarded a plane from Dallas to Chicago ready for some family fun and a delicious turkey dinner. At the time, I was 24 weeks pregnant with our second daughter, Anna, and everything was rather healthy and going smoothly.
Things took a dramatic turn on Thanksgiving day. Right before our family was to sit down for dinner, I started bleeding heavily and was rushed to the nearest hospital (which, thankfully, happens to be the only hospital in the region with a small baby unit in their NICU). I was immediately hooked up to a fetal monitor. Anna seemed to be doing just fine, so the plan was to monitor me closely for the next 24 hours. I was told that I’d be sent home if I was “bleed free” for up to 72 hours. Over the course of the next couple of days I bled on and off, and because of that, it looked like there was no end in sight to my hospital stay.
We took precautions to give Anna the best chance of survival if she were to be born prematurely. After a few more days, things started looking up. I had been in the hospital almost 2 weeks by this point, and could see the end in sight. I felt better, my bleeding had stopped, and I was ready to go home and be with my daughter, Evelyn.
Then, around 7 pm on December 8th I started having contractions. They continued to get worse and worse and this time, the nursing staff wasn’t able to get them to stop. So around midnight, the doctor came in to tell us that they were going to take Anna via emergency c-section at just 25 weeks and 2 days gestation. We were absolutely terrified.
Anna Genevieve Branch was born at 1:54 am on December 9th weighing just 1 lb 13 oz and was 12.5 inches long. She was immediately taken to the NICU and I was left to begin recovery.
Jacob and I were able to see her a few hours later and couldn’t believe just how tiny she was. Now that she was out, we both had an uphill battle to fight.
Over the next week she needed to be treated for a PDA (a duct in the heart that normally closes upon birth. Her’s stayed open and was causing problems with blood and oxygen circulation. We are SO grateful that it has been successfully closed with a round of ibuprofen.). She has been under a bilirubin light off and on to treat jaundice. Most significantly, she has gone back and forth between a normal ventilator and an oscillating ventilator to help her lungs.
WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY
Because all of this happened while we were traveling, we are now in Illinois for the remainder of Anna’s hospital stay. We were told by her doctor to expect her to be in the hospital until around her due date (which was March 21st). So we have uprooted our lives and have settled into my parents’ house semi-permanently until she is released and we are cleared to go back home to Texas.
All of this has completely changed what “normal life” looks like for us. We now are back and forth from the hospital at least once every day and are trying to balance our time between our two daughters. Thankfully, we are surrounded by family here who has been more than willing to help out in any way that they can. My parents watch Evelyn for us while we go to the hospital, people have brought food, and others have given gifts to help lift our spirits.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
One area we could really use help is when it comes to our finances. This hospital stay will be long and there will be many expected, and some unexpected, expenses that we will need help with. Here’s where you can help! So, how will your money be spent?
* First and foremost, medical bills. You can help us cover not only our deductible for this year but also for next, as well as any hidden medical costs that we have yet to be made aware of.
* Food. Because we spend a lot of time going back and forth from the hospital, we will have times where we need to grab a bite in the cafeteria or run through somewhere to pick up something to eat.
* Future travel back to Dallas for Jacob. Jacob’s work has been EXTREMELY generous and has allowed him to work remotely for the time being. We are so thankful for this, but we also realize there may be a time in the coming months where he may need to take a trip back to Texas that’s work-related.
* Miscellaneous items such as clothing, gas, and some baby gear for Anna once she is released. We were not prepared to be here for so long and only brought a limited amount of belongings in our luggage. I only packed maternity clothes, but now I don’t need those anymore and need things that are looser and more comfortable while I recover from a c-section. Also, when Anna is allowed to go home, we aren’t sure how long it will be before she is cleared to travel, so we’ll need some clothes, diapers, and a bassinet for her in the meantime.
We are TREMENDOUSLY grateful for your willingness to love on us and support us in this way. It helps more than you know! To help get the word out, you can share this link or your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account. Thank you again!
It all started with what was supposed to be an enjoyable trip to northern Illinois to spend time with family for Thanksgiving. Jacob, Evelyn (our 19 month old daughter), and I boarded a plane from Dallas to Chicago ready for some family fun and a delicious turkey dinner. At the time, I was 24 weeks pregnant with our second daughter, Anna, and everything was rather healthy and going smoothly.
Things took a dramatic turn on Thanksgiving day. Right before our family was to sit down for dinner, I started bleeding heavily and was rushed to the nearest hospital (which, thankfully, happens to be the only hospital in the region with a small baby unit in their NICU). I was immediately hooked up to a fetal monitor. Anna seemed to be doing just fine, so the plan was to monitor me closely for the next 24 hours. I was told that I’d be sent home if I was “bleed free” for up to 72 hours. Over the course of the next couple of days I bled on and off, and because of that, it looked like there was no end in sight to my hospital stay.
We took precautions to give Anna the best chance of survival if she were to be born prematurely. After a few more days, things started looking up. I had been in the hospital almost 2 weeks by this point, and could see the end in sight. I felt better, my bleeding had stopped, and I was ready to go home and be with my daughter, Evelyn.
Then, around 7 pm on December 8th I started having contractions. They continued to get worse and worse and this time, the nursing staff wasn’t able to get them to stop. So around midnight, the doctor came in to tell us that they were going to take Anna via emergency c-section at just 25 weeks and 2 days gestation. We were absolutely terrified.
Anna Genevieve Branch was born at 1:54 am on December 9th weighing just 1 lb 13 oz and was 12.5 inches long. She was immediately taken to the NICU and I was left to begin recovery.
Jacob and I were able to see her a few hours later and couldn’t believe just how tiny she was. Now that she was out, we both had an uphill battle to fight.
Over the next week she needed to be treated for a PDA (a duct in the heart that normally closes upon birth. Her’s stayed open and was causing problems with blood and oxygen circulation. We are SO grateful that it has been successfully closed with a round of ibuprofen.). She has been under a bilirubin light off and on to treat jaundice. Most significantly, she has gone back and forth between a normal ventilator and an oscillating ventilator to help her lungs.
WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY
Because all of this happened while we were traveling, we are now in Illinois for the remainder of Anna’s hospital stay. We were told by her doctor to expect her to be in the hospital until around her due date (which was March 21st). So we have uprooted our lives and have settled into my parents’ house semi-permanently until she is released and we are cleared to go back home to Texas.
All of this has completely changed what “normal life” looks like for us. We now are back and forth from the hospital at least once every day and are trying to balance our time between our two daughters. Thankfully, we are surrounded by family here who has been more than willing to help out in any way that they can. My parents watch Evelyn for us while we go to the hospital, people have brought food, and others have given gifts to help lift our spirits.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
One area we could really use help is when it comes to our finances. This hospital stay will be long and there will be many expected, and some unexpected, expenses that we will need help with. Here’s where you can help! So, how will your money be spent?
* First and foremost, medical bills. You can help us cover not only our deductible for this year but also for next, as well as any hidden medical costs that we have yet to be made aware of.
* Food. Because we spend a lot of time going back and forth from the hospital, we will have times where we need to grab a bite in the cafeteria or run through somewhere to pick up something to eat.
* Future travel back to Dallas for Jacob. Jacob’s work has been EXTREMELY generous and has allowed him to work remotely for the time being. We are so thankful for this, but we also realize there may be a time in the coming months where he may need to take a trip back to Texas that’s work-related.
* Miscellaneous items such as clothing, gas, and some baby gear for Anna once she is released. We were not prepared to be here for so long and only brought a limited amount of belongings in our luggage. I only packed maternity clothes, but now I don’t need those anymore and need things that are looser and more comfortable while I recover from a c-section. Also, when Anna is allowed to go home, we aren’t sure how long it will be before she is cleared to travel, so we’ll need some clothes, diapers, and a bassinet for her in the meantime.
We are TREMENDOUSLY grateful for your willingness to love on us and support us in this way. It helps more than you know! To help get the word out, you can share this link or your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account. Thank you again!
Organizer
Kalyn Branch
Organizer
Poplar Grove, IL
