Hello, my name is TJ.

My girlfriend, Dayna, and I welcomed our beautiful son, Shiloh, on 6/24/2025. His arrival was a miracle after a very difficult and stressful pregnancy.

From early on, Dayna was considered high-risk. We had more appointments and ultrasounds than a typical pregnancy, and during one of the early scans, doctors noticed issues with the blood flow in Shiloh’s heart, along with possible amniotic bands. We spent weeks terrified, but after a few follow-up appointments, they told us his heart looked great and the bands were no longer visible. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted.

With that relief, we finally started looking for a place of our own so we could move out of my parents’ house and prepare a home and nursery for our baby. We found a place we loved, met the owner, did a walkthrough, and were scheduled to sign the lease the next day. We cried happy tears that night because it felt like everything was finally falling into place.

But the next day, everything changed.

At Dayna’s 32-week appointment—the same appointment where we got our very first face picture of Shiloh—the doctor came in with heartbreaking news. The amniotic bands had come back, and this time they were attached to Shiloh’s face. Dayna was immediately admitted to the hospital for 24-hour monitoring until delivery. We were devastated, scared, and completely overwhelmed. We didn’t know much about amniotic band syndrome, and even the doctors didn’t have many answers for us.

Because Dayna had to stay in the hospital, we lost the home we were about to move into. She missed her baby shower, which broke my heart because every mom looks forward to that moment. It felt like everything we had worked for came crashing down at once.

Dayna remained in the hospital for 20 days until her water broke, leading to an emergency C-section When we finally met our miracle boy, we saw the damage the band had caused—it created a cleft up his cheek and affected his ear on the other side. We knew immediately he would need surgery. He was also still born premature and had to stay in the NICU for 13 days prior to us being able to take him home.

Fast-forward to today: Shiloh is about 5 months old, and despite being strong and amazing, he has many appointments and now has his reconstructive surgery scheduled for January. Dayna stays home with him to make sure he gets the care he needs, and I work full-time, but we are still struggling to find a stable place to live and manage all of the financial stress that comes with his medical needs.

We’re asking for help—not for us, but for Shiloh. Every dollar will go directly toward his medical care, his upcoming surgery, and helping us create a safe, stable home for him. If you’ve taken the time to read our story, thank you. We appreciate every bit of love and support people have shown Shiloh. We know the road ahead is long, but he is worth everything. ❤️