This past  May Tori ands Ruben were in the hospital for observation, thinking she would be there for weeks until delivery, when her liver began to fail- putting she and and her unborn baby girl’s lives in jeopardy. On Fri, May 18th, it was determined the the only thing that would save both their lives was an emergency cesarian.  Tori was rushed into surgery and Sweet Emberly Sofia Eaton-Heredia was born at 4:49 PM, 3 months early,  and immediately taken to the NICU.  She was 12.25 inches long, and weighed a mere 1 lb, 9 oz.,  a saucy  little miracle who, the nurses dubbed,  "The Feisty One" her very first day !  

Over the passed 7 weeks, Ember, who remains in the NICU, has struggled with her lungs and oxygen requirements, while also having  medical tests often to check her heart, eyes, and multiple echocardiograms  as she has an atrial septum defect that will need monitoring even after she leaves to go home, which hopefully will be in the next 6 weeks or so.

Tori says “She’s shown she has a zest for life, and has taught us  a LOT about being present and patient. We are grateful for this parenting journey-  it’s not ‘normal’, but it's our ‘normal’... and it's amazing!  She enjoys snuggles with her Mom and Dad, hates lying on her back, and let's everyone know when her diaper is dirty. Her eyes are full of wonder at this big world, and my breath catches, wondering what she can see and how she will observe the world as she grows up.”

Ember's growth is following the "normal" growth curve-- she's just still toward the bottom of expected size for her age.  But, she's getting healthier by the day and Mom Tori and Daddy Ruben are ecstatic for her stability and  feeling a love like never before for their beautiful feisty little girl  <3

Bills are piling up, the medical costs for Ember will be nothing short of staggering, plus the time lost from work for Tori and Ruben is a huge loss of income for the family. 

I realize GoFundMe has become a way for people to finance a lot of things, however  this request for help is not someone looking for money to go on a trip or buy something they can’t afford on their own, it's an honorable request   for two hard working good people who are doing everything in their power to give the life of their only child a running start and pay costs and wages of the hospital and medical professionals who have/will  care for her for months. This is an honorable request for a real life need,  and I ask you to think about what you would do if this was you, or your grandchild, or a niece or nephew, or your beast friends little girl and follow your heart. 

I know I speak for Tori and Ruben when I give my heartfelt Thank YOU's for your love and  your donations!