Help Baby Brooklyn on Her Journey to Recovery

On August 24th, 2024, we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Brooklyn, into the world. What should have been a joyful and peaceful time quickly turned into a whirlwind of worry and fear. While we were still in the hospital, a nurse noticed something wasn’t right with Brooklyn. She began having seizures, and our world turned upside down.

The medical team immediately took action, and Brooklyn had to be flown by helicopter to the University of Chicago Hospital for specialized care. Watching her leave in that helicopter was one of the hardest moments of our lives.

Now, Brooklyn is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) under constant monitoring. She has been hooked up to EEGs and has undergone multiple tests as doctors work tirelessly to figure out what went wrong. Despite all the testing, we are still searching for answers.

To make things even more challenging, during the first 24 hours of Brooklyn's stay at the University of Chicago Hospital, we, her parents—Shadow and Garrett—were stuck at the original hospital. Shadow was still recovering from her C-section and needed significant help and emotional support from Garrett. This made it impossible for us to be by Brooklyn's side during that critical time. It was heartbreaking to be separated from her when she needed us most.

Thankfully, we are now able to be with Brooklyn around the clock. We are staying in the Ronald McDonald Rooms provided by charity, which has given us access to be with her 24-7. While this has brought us some comfort, it is still incredibly hard, especially since our family and Brooklyn's grandparents have had to find hotels and other places to stay just to be near her.

On top of everything, Shadow is still recovering from the surgery. It’s difficult for her to move around, and she’s in continuous pain as she heals. Garrett is doing his best to take care of her while we both remain focused on Brooklyn’s recovery.

We don’t know if it will be days or weeks before Brooklyn is released into our care, and we can finally take her home. Each day is a challenge as we wait for answers and hope for our daughter’s recovery.

We are reaching out for support to help us through this incredibly difficult time. The medical bills for Brooklyn's care are mounting, and so are the costs of staying near her while we wait for her recovery. Any donations will go toward covering her medical expenses, our living expenses while we’re in Chicago, and helping our family manage the financial strain this unexpected situation has caused.

Your generosity will help us focus on what matters most—being there for Brooklyn and helping her heal. Any contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us. Thank you for your support during this challenging time.