My sweet baby niece Ryleigh Jean Murr has had a rough start in life. She and her family need your help, so I’m writing this appeal on behalf of Ryleigh, my sister Maria Murr (Ryleigh’s mom), my brother-in-law Dave Murr, and my other niece, Aurora Murr.

Maria and Dave were recently faced with every new parent’s worst nightmare. Shortly after Ryleigh’s birth, her oxygen levels plummeted—she was struggling to breathe. The lungs are some of the last organs to develop, and because Ryleigh was born several weeks premature, her lungs were not fully developed at the time of her birth.

This meant that Ryleigh had to spend the first month of her life on oxygen in the NICU rather than at home with her family, a heartbreaking and extremely stressful period of time for Maria and Dave. Every time it seemed like Ryleigh was stabilizing, there would be a setback to her progress that would reset the clock and she would have to stay for several additional days. Maria stayed in the hospital with her in a nesting suite, barely leaving her for the entire month. Dave had to quickly return to work to support the family. This was also a difficult time for Aurora—she stayed with her grandparents and myself for the full month, struggling to understand why her parents were suddenly absent. And even once Ryleigh was finally able to go home with her family, she had to stay on oxygen.

Unfortunately, the hospital bills for Maria and Ryleigh have begun rolling in. Dave and Maria are some of the strongest and most hardworking people I know. Dave works well over 40 hours a week in a physically laborious job as a mechanic to provide for his family. Maria works long nights as a CNA, though she’s currently on unpaid maternity leave. The combination of medical bills—currently $6,000 and counting as additional bills come in—and Maria’s lost wages during this time (~$5,000) have left the family in a very difficult spot. As many of us know, it often doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much you try to save—sometimes these unforeseen medical events happen, and healthcare costs can set families back for years.

But that’s where you can help! Community care is everything—where systems fail, we can come through for our loved ones and fill the gap. Maria and Dave are always so willing jump in to help others, so I’m calling on you, as their community members, to return that care back to them. Every dollar counts! You can support Maria, Dave, Aurora and Ryleigh in their moment of need to help the Murrs find the safety and stability they deserve.