Baby Madeline's Micro-Preemie Fund

On Sunday, August 7th at 11:04pm, Madeline Eva Doriss Morris was born at 25 weeks, 5 days gestation, weighing 1 lb. 7 oz. and measuring 12 inches long. She has already proven herself to be a fighter, even crying the moment she was born (an unusual feat for a baby born so early). Along with her loving parents, much of her extended family was there awaiting her arrival, including all of her grandparents and three of her aunts. She was immediately whisked away to the NICU, where she will spend the next few months under the care of a team of very experienced nurses and doctors. Needless to say, Michaela and Mark will be spending much of their time at the hospital for the duration of Madeline's stay.

Over the past few days, Michaela and Mark have gotten a chance to visit with, and touch, Madeline; hopefully they will be able to hold her in the coming days. Madeline's stay in the NICU will be full of challenges to overcome, especially in the first few weeks. As they spend the coming months bonding as a family in the hospital, our goal, as their family, is to ensure that Michaela and Mark can focus all of their attention on their daughter. We hope to raise enough money to be able to cover their living expenses for a few months and put a dent in the many medical bills yet to come.



Back Story
Two nights before Madeline was born, Michaela was experiencing fatigue and chest pains, so after a call to the advice nurse, she and Mark headed to the hospital thinking she would be sent home after a quick checkup. However, doctors quickly realized something much more serious was going on; Michaela's blood pressure was dangerously high - at one point as high as 190/99 - which pointed to a diagnosis of preeclampsia.

At first, when Michaela and Mark asked what the best case scenario would be, they were told that if they could get her blood pressure under control, and all other tests came back normal, Michaela would be sent home with medications and instructions to remain on bed rest.

However, further testing revealed the situation was much more dire than originally anticipated: Michaela was suffering from severe preeclampsia with HELLP Syndrome. Not only was the condition immediately life-threatening, but the only cure was to deliver Madeline, and soon. The new "best-case scenario" was delivering Madeline via C-Section late Sunday night.

In order to give Madeline the best chance to survive and thrive, doctors gave Michaela a steroid injection on Saturday morning. Over the next 36 hours, the steroids would give Madeline's lungs a developmental boost. In the meantime, Michaela was on high doses of magnesium to keep her blood pressure in check. During these incredibly hectic 36 hours, Mark did not leave her side. Despite the incredible difficulty of the situation, both Michaela and Mark have been handling it all with more grace than anyone could imagine; Madeline is lucky to have such strong, loving, and all-around amazing parents at her side.

Madeline's journey will be long and at times difficult, but we know she is strong enough to overcome the challenges that face her. With everyone's help, we can give Michaela and Mark a little peace of mind while they focus on their daughter's continued development. Thoughts, prayers, and financial donations (no matter how small) will make a huge difference.

We will continue to provide updates on Madeline's progress as they are available, and we know that Michaela and Mark greatly appreciate everyone's support.