Help Andrel and Olivia Through This Crisis

Hello, I'm creating this GFM for my bonus son, Andrel Owens, and his wife, Olivia. They have experienced such a an ordeal on what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of their lives.

On August 30, they flew from Houston into their hometown of El Paso, TX, to be married and to be honored with a baby shower the following day. On the morning of August 31, Olivia slipped and fell. She did all she could to prevent from falling onto her stomach and in doing so, she dislocated her knee and tore the tendons and ligaments around it. She was rushed to the ER where she was stabilized so they could check on the baby. The baby appeared to be okay initially, but Olivia had endured much damage to her knee and was told to prepare for surgery the following day to stabilize the knee with pins attached to an external rod to immobilize her leg until she got back to Houston for the real knee surgery to repair the torn ligaments and tendons. Unfortunately, they never made it to their baby shower nor back home to Houston.

On September 1, Olivia underwent that knee surgery, where the pins and rods were attached to her leg. (She has since learned that she now has nerve damage to the leg, as well.) Andrel stayed by her side the whole time. She was told that she wouldn't be able to walk for 3+ months and that it would take about a year to be back to normal, if all went well.

Unfortunately, on the night of September 5, Andrel had no choice but to return to Houston to work. Hours after arrival in Houston, in the wee morning hours of September 6, he received a phone call informing him of Olivia's need for an emergency c-section, so he flew back to El Paso to be by her side again.

Olivia was rushed into surgery after complaining of not feeling well, and Baby AJ was delivered at only 31 weeks gestation. He was rushed into the NICU, where he remains, and Olivia was rushed to ICU. Olivia was unable to see her baby boy until September 12, due to her fragile medical condition, but she was able to hold his hand while he lay in an incubator. Baby AJ is intubated and on oxygen, allowing his lungs to strengthen daily, under a UV light, and being fed intravenously for nourishment. Olivia was finally able to hold her baby for the first time on September 13. She can only see him once daily if someone from PT is in there with her to assist her, as she cannot ambulate on her own,

Olivia has been told that she will not be walking for 3+ months and that it's highly likely that she will be facing 2 more knee surgeries to repair nerve damage, and the meniscus, in addition to the tendons and ligaments. She had recently transferred school districts when she moved to Houston, so she has no paid FMLA benefits to assist her with income during these 3+ months of being out of work and then caring for a premature baby.

Andrel does not have any paid FMLA either, and he desperately wants to be by the side of his wife and baby boy as much as possible, but it's not financially sustainable for him. He has requested 6 weeks of UNPAID FMLA because he NEEDS to be with his little family... they need him there, too! They need our help!

Olivia will need to be sent to a rehab center next week, so she will no longer be able to see or touch her baby boy, AJ, in person, and will only be able to see him via video. She is devastated that she has to leave her baby boy! This trauma to her body, the heartache of being away from her baby boy, and the emotional well-being of both of them is unimaginable and too much to endure. They need our prayers and assistance, friends.

In order for Andrel to be able to stay in El Paso and be with his little family while both his wife and son are hospitalized, they will need to cover monthly expenses back in Houston, so we need to rally together and unite as a family who love Andrel and Olivia and baby AJ, and provide financial assistance for Andrel to be able to take the UNPAID FMLA time. He doesn't know how long he'll be out of work to be with his family in El Paso. He can only take 12 weeks un UNPAID FMLA, and then he must return to work or risk losing his job. The medical bills will be insurmountable! It's something they shouldn't have to worry about right now.

Please donate to this worthy cause to afford Andrel and Olivia the opportunity to heal and recover together while going through this ordeal until both Olivia and Baby AJ can go home to Houston in a few months. Please pray for Olivia to recover from her injuries and to heal well from her c-section surgery, as well.

If you cannot give now, please share this GFM fundraiser with your social media friends. You may choose to donate monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, if you choose. Every dollar counts and will go straight to Andrel and Olivia's bank account.

If you know Andrel and Olivia, you know the kind and loving people that they are. They will do anything to help anyone! Please show your love for them by blessing them with a love offering in any amount and daily prayers. Texting them words of encouragement will uplift their spirits.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and your generous hearts for donating and sharing this GFM on social media. May God bless us all, but especially Olivia, Baby AJ, and Andrel, during this most challenging time. Let's show them some love, El Paso, and surrounding friends and family everywhere.

Updates will be posted weekly, as received.