Declan's Surgery Fund
Donation protected
Update 5/7:17
Declan will have another surgery (his sixth) on May 10th to remove the stents placed in April. He has had a rough month. He caught an upper respiratory virus two days after his April surgery, and ended up spending nine days in the PICU. He had a revision of his stents during that hospitalization that helped for a few days. He ended up going back into the hospital for three more days when he wasn't able to feed, and is now at home with a feeding tube. It's a little easier being at home than at the hospital, but it's a 24 hour a day job, and there are no pediatric home health care workers available. So, Gigi is in Pensacola helping out so Megan and Sean can get a little sleep and keep functioning.
Update: Declan has had three surgeries so far, and is scheduled for his fourth surgery on April 21st in Birmingham. We are hopeful that perhaps this time the holes in the back of his nose will not have closed completely, and a dilation will be all he requires. His last surgery required small incisions in his nostrils to accommodate the instruments, as well as surgically reopening and enlarging the openings at the back of his nose again.
Each trip to Birmingham incurs more travel expenses, time off work for Sean, and challenges with Declan's feeding and weight gain. Megan can't return to work because of his care needs and Declan can't go to to daycare due to his increased risk of infection.
Megan and Sean are so grateful for the support, prayers, and donations of so many friends and family during this ongoing time of need.
Megan and Sean Dunn's first child Declan was born five weeks early when Megan suddenly went into labor. Declan was breech and had to be delivered via emergency c-section. Unexpectedly, he was unable to breathe, and required intubation and a ventilator. He had to be transferred to a different hospital in Pensacola with a NICU, away from his mother Megan, and after a week of diagnostic tests it was determined that he had a condition called choanal atresia, a random congenital defect in which the openings in the back of his nose didn't develop and were blocked. Babies are "obligate nose breathers", which means that they naturally breathe through their noses to enable them to drink from a bottle or breastfeed. Because Declan couldn't breathe and feed at the same time, he has required a feeding tube.
Declan was transferred to the Benjamin Russell Children's Hospital in Birmingham, AL for surgery since the wait in Pensacola was longer. The NICU team flew to Pensacola and airlifted him to Birmingham, and Declan's parents and grandmother Tracy Reed followed by car.
Declan's surgery was performed a week after arriving in Birmingham. He will require a followup surgery in 3-4 weeks to remove the stents that were placed to keep the newly created openings working, and may require periodic surgeries as he grows. He is learning how to nurse and drink a bottle, but has had setbacks being able to feed enough by mouth to maintain his weight and continue to grow, so he still requires a feeding tube.
It's hard to predict how long he will need to stay in the NICU, but he's in his third week and his discharge date is uncertain. Megan and Sean are staying in a hotel near the hospital because the Ronald McDonald House has a waiting list. Megan is still recovering from her c-section and spends her time pumping breast milk for Declan's feedings and visiting him in the NICU, so bring close by is important. Sean is fortunately able to telecommute with his job, and is working every day. Both parents have to be trained to suction Declan's nose every three hours, and Sean has quickly become really good at that.
Declan's parents are lucky to have good jobs and health insurance, but like most young families, couldn't have been prepared for the enormous out of pocket expenses that come with having a preemie in the NICU at an out of town hospital for weeks, with the prospect of future surgeries as well. They are responsible for the deductible and then 20% of the medical costs.
Your donation would help ease the financial burdens and let Declan's parents focus on his healing and growth. Thank you.






Declan will have another surgery (his sixth) on May 10th to remove the stents placed in April. He has had a rough month. He caught an upper respiratory virus two days after his April surgery, and ended up spending nine days in the PICU. He had a revision of his stents during that hospitalization that helped for a few days. He ended up going back into the hospital for three more days when he wasn't able to feed, and is now at home with a feeding tube. It's a little easier being at home than at the hospital, but it's a 24 hour a day job, and there are no pediatric home health care workers available. So, Gigi is in Pensacola helping out so Megan and Sean can get a little sleep and keep functioning.
Update: Declan has had three surgeries so far, and is scheduled for his fourth surgery on April 21st in Birmingham. We are hopeful that perhaps this time the holes in the back of his nose will not have closed completely, and a dilation will be all he requires. His last surgery required small incisions in his nostrils to accommodate the instruments, as well as surgically reopening and enlarging the openings at the back of his nose again.
Each trip to Birmingham incurs more travel expenses, time off work for Sean, and challenges with Declan's feeding and weight gain. Megan can't return to work because of his care needs and Declan can't go to to daycare due to his increased risk of infection.
Megan and Sean are so grateful for the support, prayers, and donations of so many friends and family during this ongoing time of need.
Megan and Sean Dunn's first child Declan was born five weeks early when Megan suddenly went into labor. Declan was breech and had to be delivered via emergency c-section. Unexpectedly, he was unable to breathe, and required intubation and a ventilator. He had to be transferred to a different hospital in Pensacola with a NICU, away from his mother Megan, and after a week of diagnostic tests it was determined that he had a condition called choanal atresia, a random congenital defect in which the openings in the back of his nose didn't develop and were blocked. Babies are "obligate nose breathers", which means that they naturally breathe through their noses to enable them to drink from a bottle or breastfeed. Because Declan couldn't breathe and feed at the same time, he has required a feeding tube.
Declan was transferred to the Benjamin Russell Children's Hospital in Birmingham, AL for surgery since the wait in Pensacola was longer. The NICU team flew to Pensacola and airlifted him to Birmingham, and Declan's parents and grandmother Tracy Reed followed by car.
Declan's surgery was performed a week after arriving in Birmingham. He will require a followup surgery in 3-4 weeks to remove the stents that were placed to keep the newly created openings working, and may require periodic surgeries as he grows. He is learning how to nurse and drink a bottle, but has had setbacks being able to feed enough by mouth to maintain his weight and continue to grow, so he still requires a feeding tube.
It's hard to predict how long he will need to stay in the NICU, but he's in his third week and his discharge date is uncertain. Megan and Sean are staying in a hotel near the hospital because the Ronald McDonald House has a waiting list. Megan is still recovering from her c-section and spends her time pumping breast milk for Declan's feedings and visiting him in the NICU, so bring close by is important. Sean is fortunately able to telecommute with his job, and is working every day. Both parents have to be trained to suction Declan's nose every three hours, and Sean has quickly become really good at that.
Declan's parents are lucky to have good jobs and health insurance, but like most young families, couldn't have been prepared for the enormous out of pocket expenses that come with having a preemie in the NICU at an out of town hospital for weeks, with the prospect of future surgeries as well. They are responsible for the deductible and then 20% of the medical costs.
Your donation would help ease the financial burdens and let Declan's parents focus on his healing and growth. Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Tracy Abner Reed
Organizer
Pensacola, FL
Sean and Megan Dunn
Beneficiary