Angelo Joseph's Journey

Cassie and Vincent Glondo were overjoyed to learn they were pregnant with baby #4... They have three older children, Gracie-10, Dominic-6, and Gianna-4.  Cassie (a stay at home mother) had rather normal pregnancies in the past, so there was nothing that could have prepared them for this long journey that has now become their miracle story.


At 12 weeks pregnant, Cassie started heavily bleeding while on a field trip with her youngest child. After a trip to the ER, she was told that she had 2 moderate subchorionic hemorrhages (blood clots) by the baby (both corners of her placenta had slightly torn).....but the baby looked perfectly healthy! She was given the instructions to take it easy and follow up with her OB, as they couldn't tell her whether or not they would lose their sweet baby.

All was well for the following weeks after Cassie's first big bleed. But as she hit 15 1/2 weeks, the bleeding started again. For weeks following, it rarely let up. Cassie continued to lose a lot of blood and became very anemic. Her SCH (subchorionic hemorrhages) continued to grow very large. One sat at the top of her uterus, extending down the front of her stomach, and the other sat on top of her cervix. Blood is an irritant, so Cassie's uterus continued to become very irritated, causing cramping, contracting, changes in her cervix, and a weakened amniotic sac. All of this caused even more bleeding, as the clot was unable to fully heal/clot up.

After multiple episodes of heavy bleeding, Cassie's hemoglobin dropping to dangerous levels, changes in her cervix, and steady contractions....She was admitted to the hospital, until she would deliver. She was admitted at 23w1d. The first goal, of making it to 24 weeks (viability) was celebrated on July 20th!! But two  and a half weeks with the best care at UW Medical Center (and a couple blood transfusions) was all that could be done to keep baby boy in .... God had other plans and decided that baby Angelo Joseph was going to make his world debut early.  Cassie's water broke Friday night, July 28th 2017. Since the doctors knew he was coming soon.... they gave her another booster series of steroid shots for Angelo's lungs, loaded her up on fluids, and started her on Magnesium (again) to protect Angelo's brain.

For two days, she continued to have steady contractions with some dips in his heartrate, as well as increased bleeding.  On Monday the 31st of July is when things started to get more intense. Cassie started to bleed more heavily, she was contracting more consistently and more intensely, and Angelo's heartrate was up and down.  Cassie's body was laboring hard and they would not be able to keep baby Angelo in any longer.

Angelo Joseph Glondo was born by semi-emergent c-section on Tuesday, August 1st 2017, at 10:36am.  He was 25weeks and 5days gestation. He weighed 1 lb 13oz and was just under 13 inches long. The team worked fast getting Angelo out. They saved Cassie's placenta for her to view and it was amazing for her to see. Covered in large blood clots, they said it was a miracle that she had kept Angelo in for two and a half weeks after she had been admitted to the hospital. At this point we were all so thankful that God had brought her and baby Angelo this far and we are all still so grateful that Angelo's delivery was successful!! The road for baby Angelo and the Glondo family will be a long road with lots of ups and downs.  He will stay in the NICU most likely until his original due date in early November.  


Throughout this incredible trying journey thus far, the Glondo family has shown such an amazing, inspiring, shining example of FAITH in GOD.  They have shown incredible strength, unity as a family, reliance and trust in God's plan from the start; even when it has been hard to see the light.  The hospital is 2 hours away from their hometown and because of this, Cassie and Vince  are having to take turns between being home with the three oldest kids and in the hospital with Angelo.  As a stay-at-home mother, this is extremely hard on Cassie and the kids because she feels physically torn between the needs of her older children and being with her newborn (all while pumping and praying that she is able to exclusively breastfeed when the time comes).  Vince is holding down a full time job and trying to balance work, being home with his kids at the house and going to the hospital on the weekends.  The hospital bills have started to roll in...It is exhausting and overwhelming.  The amounts are unbelievable.  And as a one job household (Cassie is a stay at home mother),  they will feel the financial burden HARD.  But you would never know it, because you never hear a complaint.  You never hear a "it's unfair".  You never hear a "I can't do this".  They truly have put their trust in God and are putting one foot down in front of the other as God lights the pathway ahead, one step at a time.

So (as a sister of Cassie's) I want to reach out to everyone and first and foremost, ask for prayers.  Pray for continued strength and growth for Angelo... Pray for peace at home as the family adjusts to a new normal.... and pray for God's Grace to continue to shower down on Cassie and Vince and give them the strength they need to walk through this uncharted territory.  God is so good and prayer is SO POWERFUL!

I would also like to ask for your support for the Glondo Family.  They would never, in a million years,  ask for help themselves but I would like to give anyone the opportunity to help.... if you so desire or wish to. I wanted to start this page because throughout their journey I have had people come to me and ask "How can I help?" "What can I do?" or even "I want to offer monetary help but I don't know how to approach them about it!".  So this page was created to assist those of us that might feel so far away but want to help in some way, shape or form!  Give what you can, give what is on your heart... or just pray, pray, pray!!!  Below is a breakdown of where the funds will go:

-Hospital Bills
-Housing in Seattle during Angelo's stay in the NICU
-Gas $$ for back and forth between home and NICU
-Groceries

And to those of you that have shown the OVERWHELMING support that the Glondo's have already received as they are making their transition... THANK YOU and may GOD BLESS each and every one of you!!! 

#TeamGlondo
#PrayersforBabyAngelo
#PrayerisPowerful
Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isiah 41:10