One month ago, my wife was rushed to St. John’s Hospital because she was going into early labor. Within minutes of her arriving at the hospital, doctors were forced to perform an emergency C-section. Our daughter Annika was born very early at 23 weeks and 6 days. Due to her being born 4 months early, she is being kept in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at St. John’s until her actual due date of January 28th, 2026.

While she is in the hospital, my wife and I are staying across the street from the hospital so that we are close. We live an hour away from the hospital, and the doctors have told us that Annika's condition could change minute to minute due to how early she was born, so we elected to stay close to her as a precaution.

During this time, bills have been paid, but the added expense of staying away from home has been hard to manage. To make matters worse, my bank account was hacked a little over a week ago, and we lost any extra that we had set aside. In addition to the current financial hardship, we weren’t planning on having Annika until January, so we were not yet prepared for the expenses that will come when we do finally get to bring her home (clothes, diapers, etc.).

We completely understand that things are hard for everyone right now. Any little bit is greatly appreciated if you are able to help.