Hello All,

Our names are Alivia and Kyler Edwards. On April 23, 2024 we were blessed with meeting our first born son, Kyler Alexander- James Edwards Jr. , at 10:45 am. He was 28 weeks and nearly 3 months early. We were so scared but seeing his face and hearing his little cry, we were rejoiced and knew the journey would be long but we could do it. After a week of Baby K being in the NICU, he was showing how strong he was. The doctors weren’t concerned with any major issues that most premies face and we were apart of the “lucky” ones. Our son seemingly was just in the NICU to grow and learn to be a baby.

Unfortunately that all changed in the matter of hours, our perfect little boy was now in critical condition and the doctors told us they were doing everything to save his life. He faced an aggressive multi-drug resistant blood infection that spread to his brain within a night. He had an emergency surgery at 10 days of life and then another surgery two days later. Kyler amazed doctors with how hard he was fighting, his heart was strong and so was his respiratory function. He never gave up.

Then because of the inflammation from the infection coupled with the massive amount of blood, antibiotics, pain medicine, and fluids Kyler was receiving to keep him alive, he had major swelling and suffered a multitude of seizures. Our son fought and fought until he couldn’t. The doctors informed us that he suffered a total and complete brain injury from the seizures and inflammation and he would never be able to live without the help of a ventilator. So we made the hardest decision and let our son go rest on May 8th.

15 days we got with our son, 15 of the most wonderful days of our lives. Nothing will replace our son, however we wanted to take his fight and make something beautiful out of it. Our sons legacy will live on as Kyler’s Kourage foundation, for his amazing strength and perseverance during his fight in the NICU.

Kylers Kourage is a foundation with a mission to provide unwavering support to premature babies facing critical illnesses in the NICU, recognizing the profound impact of this early struggle on their lives and families. Through compassionate care, innovative resources, and steadfast advocacy, we aim to empower families and healthcare professionals alike, ensuring that no premie battles alone. Together, we believe in the power of community and resilience to light the path towards hope, healing, and better tomorrow.