Hello local friends, family, and community members,

My name is Brittany and I am a good friend of Emily and Leo. On behalf of the Haines', we are reaching out to the community with heavy hearts and hope for Crue.

A local first-responder family needs our support. I created this GoFundMe on behalf of Leo and Emily Haines—two people who have dedicated their careers to serving others. Emily is a local emergency services dispatcher, and Leo is a Sussex County law enforcement officer. They spend their lives helping our community, and now it is our turn to help them.

After what doctors described as a “healthy” pregnancy, Emily and Leo welcomed their baby boy on Friday, November 14th, 2025, in a way no first-time parents should ever endure. Emily was rushed in for an emergency C-section—one that may have been preventable—and delivered their son without a heartbeat and not breathing. Leo was not allowed in the operating room and was unable to witness the birth of his first child. Immediately after delivery, Emily, Leo, and their newborn were separated.

Emily remained at the hospital for two days recovering from major surgery, while baby Crue was transported to Morristown Medical Center’s NICU, where he remains today. As any parent knows, postpartum recovery is challenging on its own—but being separated from her husband and newborn has made Emily’s healing even more difficult.

No baby deserves what this 20 day-old little fighter has already faced. While the full medical details cannot be shared at this time, Crue has a long road ahead. His future will involve daily medications, weekly specialist appointments, early-intervention programs, and an ongoing care team once he is stable enough to come home.

These devoted first-time parents have spent endless hours traveling, sitting beside their baby in the NICU, and meeting with doctors and specialists—all while Emily continues to recover and Leo remains unable to return to work. The emotional, physical, and financial toll has been immense.

Their only focus right now is bringing their son home safely. My goal is to help ease the financial burden they should not have to face alone. There is no timeline yet for when Crue will be strong enough to leave the NICU, but we have hope—and we have #CourageForCrue. With the strength of his parents and the support of their community, we believe he will get there.