Love for Liam “the Warrior” Wilson

William “Liam” Thomas Wilson was born on November 21, 2019 at 2:46 am making his grand entrance 12 weeks and 2 days prior to his due date. Weighing 1 lb and 13 oz at birth, this little, yet fierce, guy has been a warrior from day 1. During his first week of life, Liam went through several “normal” things that preemies go through: good days, bad days, super scary days, ventilators, breathing tubes, bili lights, and isolation, but none of this was normal to mom and dad. It took 6 days before Kelly was able to hold her precious baby boy for the first time. While both mom and dad get Liam cuddles almost daily now, most of their time is spent looking, talking and singing to their child through a glass box. In that first 7 days, Liam also went through some not-so-normal stuff. He contracted MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a bacterial infection in his blood. After poking and prodding nearly every teeny tiny vein in his body, the infection would still not go away. With each new IV, Liam was at risk of losing good veins to receive his antibiotics, which were vital, and a central line could not be put in until the bacteria had stopped growing to avoid further infection. It was at that point, Liam’s doctors decided to transfer him 75 miles away to the reputable Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis for specialized treatment. After days and days of running multiple tests and tweaking antibiotics, we finally got word that his blood tested negative for the MRSA on December 6. It is possible that the bacteria may be rooted in Liam’s bones, but we will not know for sure until he is big enough and stable enough to undergo MRIs and a bone scans outside his isolette. Liam has already received a spinal tap, X-rays, echocardiograms, ultrasounds and two blood transfusions. He has taken every step of his treatment thus far like a champ. At three weeks old (30 weeks gestation), Liam now weighing in at 3 lbs and two ounces and is still being treated for MRSA and prematurity. He still has a long road ahead, but truly has the most amazing support system a baby could have in his corner, so he continues to fight! Liam has been in the NICU for three weeks and has at least another 10 weeks to go. Mom and Dad have exhausted any paid leave from work, and in order to remain together as a family in Indianapolis and continue to receive the best care for Liam, Jeff will have to go on unpaid FMLA; therefore the Wilsons will have no income until Liam is ready to come home. The goal is to get him healthy enough to be released from the hospital by his due date (February 15). So, I know the holiday season is busy and expensive for everyone, but if there is any extra room from friends and family to help out at all, it will truly go a long way. Every little monetary bit helps, and they cannot thank you enough for the outpouring love, prayers and support they have already received. God Bless Liam “the Warrior” Wilson.