Summary:
I can’t believe I’m doing this because I hate asking for help, but I truly appreciate any contribution as I’m not sure how much this will cost us and how long his NICU stay might be. Any money collected will go towards Alexander’s medical bills and the costs associated with us being able to see him as much as possible while he is in the NICU at a hospital about an hour away from our home (gas, hotel stays, parking, food, lost wages, etc).

My sweet Alexander was born 10/6/20 and  is currently stable in the NICU, but cannot eat by mouth due to an unexpected birth defect discovered at birth. He is getting all of his nutrients through his IV and has a nasogastric tube in place to decompress his stomach. Tonight he will be getting a PICC line placed so he can receive more complete nutrition. Tomorrow the team of surgeons will decide what type and the extent of surgery he needs after we get his last X-ray completed. 

Full long story below:
Some of you may know I had to take early disability leave from my job as a nurse due to the risks of working in the hospital during my high risk pregnancy. It was thought at the time that my baby was going to be born with spina bifida. At 32 weeks pregnant I had an MRI performed at Stanford and was given the great news that my baby’s spine was actually normal. After 3 months of worry I finally felt relieved.

Fast forward to October 6 Alexander arrived via scheduled c section. The doctors quickly realized he needed to be transferred to another hospital for NICU care and surgery for an unexpected birth defect that prevents him from passing gas or stool. 

I got to see him for about 20 minutes before he was whisked away by a special transport team to a hospital an hour away. I was left to recover without my baby which is an absolute nightmare. I’m pumping around the clock to try and make milk for
him which is exhausting. Being in the hospital surrounded by equipment he should be using...and hearing the cries of the babies in the other rooms was so hard on me. Luckily my doctor is very understanding and discharged me within 24 hours so I could go visit Alexander.

The drive is over an hour each way and proved to be very painful and unpleasant for me so soon after surgery. I hope it gets better and better each day. I am also dealing with the stress of not having a guaranteed job to go back to as I have almost used up all of my job protected leave. If I get let go due to needing extra time off I also will lose our health insurance. 

Alexander is currently stable, but cannot eat by mouth. He is getting all of his nutrients through his IV and has a nasogastric tube in place to decompress his stomach. Tonight he will be getting a PICC line placed so he can receive more complete nutrition. Tomorrow the team of surgeons will decide what type and the extent of surgery he needs after we get his last X-ray completed. 

As stated above any funds collected will go towards: medical bills, gas, hotel stays, parking, food, lost wages ( my husband doesn’t get any paid time off work, I am on disability).