Help Us Help Shiloh

For those that love the stories with all the details or just want to hear about the hand of the Lord at work, I've included Shiloh's birth story here at the top. If you're just interested in learning what's going on presently, you can skip towards the bottom with the bolded heading, "Where We Are Now"

Shiloh Brooke Floyd's Birth Story

Shiloh was born 8 weeks early on August 27, 2024 weighing 2 lbs 8 oz, and as the events of birth unfold, it becomes more and more evident just how miraculous her birth truly was.

The day the c-section took place, other than the fact that it was my birthday, it started out as the most regular of days. No prenatal visit was scheduled, no ultrasound, nothing.

It only was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind-- a nudge from the Holy Spirit-- that I hadn't felt much movement from Shiloh the 3-4 days leading up to her birth.

Surely everything was fine, I thought, but for my own peace of mind, I asked my midwife to come over when she got out of the office and check things out.

By the time she got to the house that afternoon, I'd completely forgotten I'd asked her to come over. My parents were there to celebrate my birthday, and two little boys running around will do that to you anyway.

Well, we were not happy with what we were hearing on the fetal Doppler, so I rode with her back to her office for some more tests, and finally, an ultrasound. Through the ultrasound, it was clear that the placenta was giving way and no longer functioning properly.

Shiloh had gone from the 45th percentile at our anatomy scan seven weeks prior to the 1st percentile on the day of her birth. From there, we went directly to the hospital, and she was born about two hours later via emergency c-section, weighing 2 lbs 8 oz, with not an issue to speak of (praise the Lord) except the need to grow. The Nicu called her a "grower and a feeder."

Not long after the birth, we learned that, though they were not telling us at the time, the talk in the OR between the doctors and staff was that Shiloh only had about 8 hours left in the womb if no action was taken. Again, just another moment of "wow, look at God." We had no idea of any of this earlier that morning.

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Where We Are Now

It was during her 43 day stay in the Nicu that we learned there were some abnormalities on her brain scan, and though they were not overly concerned with them, they wanted us to follow up with a neurologist once she was discharged from the Nicu.

Fast forward through Shi's homecoming once she hit 4 lbs, a week and a half at home before 8 days in the Picu at CHOA (due to the common cold), the holidays, a move across town, and finally, to one of her appointments back down at CHOA, this one with the Developmental Progress Clinic.

It was there last week that they designated her high-risk for developing Cerebral Palsy by age 2 as a result of the brain injury she sustained, most likely towards the end of the pregnancy when the placenta began giving way. We'd been noticing increasing tightness in her little body-- arms, legs, hands, torso-- since she was about 4 months old, but this designation was the first of anything official.

Knowing the neuroplasticity of the brain and believing that God has designed our bodies with the ability to heal given the right nutrition, environment, and supports, we're seeking out treatment with Doman International, an organization based in Philadelphia, Pa. Doman International is founded on the work and research of Glenn Doman and specializes in helping the brain heal. They work with children with a variety of neurological diagnoses and have high success rates and encouraging results.

The program would involve us and Shiloh going to Doman International for a three day stay during which they will evaluate Shiloh, develop a custom plan for her, and then spend the rest of the time teaching us, as her parents, to implement the plan. Then for the next 6 months, we work virtually with a member of Doman who will provide guidance and support us through Shiloh's work.

We're setting up the appointment for the three day intensive now and making a deposit in faith, not yet completely sure where the finances will come from, but we are believing that God has a plan.

Before anything else, we ask that you would pray His will be done in our life and Shiloh's. We ask that you would pray she gets the treatment she needs. And lastly, if you feel led to support financially, it's true that even the smallest amount helps, and we would be so very grateful.

If you would like to learn more about Doman International, below is a link specific to Cerebral Palsy. They also have a host of other pages for various diagnoses.

Doman International and Cerebral Palsy

The Doman Method