Help Baby Freyja Heal: Support Mackenzie and Zach

As you all know, reaching out to family and friends is never easy. However, this is something I feel the army that surrounds Mackenzie & Zach & baby Freyja would be very willing to help with, if given the opportunity. With permission from Mack & Zach, I am sharing Freyja’s story, in hopes that some of our prayer warriors can come together and help cover them in prayer, our friends can help share her story & those who are able, can assist with the huge financial burden that Mack and Zach are facing due to the current situation. Zach has been out of work longer than anticipated already & Mack will also be off work for an undisclosed amount of time, most likely unpaid.

On February 2nd, Mack was in a car accident, totaling her car . Although she & freyja appeared fine , the accident caused some compilations inside the womb that went undiagnosed.

Mack went into labor on Monday, Feb 3rd at 5pm , and gave birth on Tuesday, Feb 4th at 1:10pm . When she came out it revealed Freyja had a brain injury resulting in seizures . If that wasn’t enough , she had also ingested meconium during birth . This resulted in her lungs, trachea, and mouth to be filled so she couldn’t breathe. She went 3 mins without oxygen before they got enough out for her to take her first breath. They had to do CPR to keep her vitals somewhat stable while they worked to get her up to the NICU . She was intubated & placed on a cooling pad for 3 days, to help the brain take a break and her lungs to catch up & clear the mucus. During this process she wasn’t receiving any food, just nutrients through an umbilical line.

She has since been rewarmed, and switched to a nasal cannula . They have done numerous tests including an AEEG, 2 EEGs, numerous chest X-rays , and blood draws . She has been working with respiratory and physical therapy 2 times a day. Though they have seen improvements, she still has a long way to go . Freyja is still on oxygen, eating through a tube , and receiving the nutrients through an IV . She couldn’t be held or even touched by mom or dad for 8 days after birth, which as you all know is very important for healing and bonding of the baby. Fortunately they have sense been able to hold her at least once but touching is still minimal .

We ask for all the prayers we can get as freyja continues her fight , and Mack & Zach fight by her side day and night . We don’t know how long until her journey in the NICU is over , we just hope they can take their precious baby girl home soon .

If you are able to donate and would like to do so directly, please contact Jennifer Burdette or Kasey Barker. We will be collecting monetary donations, By Heart Formula, Size 1 diapers, gallons of nursery water, gift cards for food (restaurants & groceries), gift cards for gas. Anything helps, as Mack & Zach are currently living in the NICU with baby Fry.

If you would like to do a directly to Mack and Zach, please do so here:

Cash app: $MackenzieIgney

Venmo: @Mackenzie-Igney

If you aren’t able to donate, please say a prayer & please hit that share button!

I will provide updates on Freyja’s condition here, as they are available, but I do ask that you all continue to give Mackenzie and Zach the space that they need while they are dealing with this situation. This is a lot for first time parents & what they need right now is a lot of love and prayers (&space to heal).

Freyja Update:

The AEEG and EEG revealed no more seizures sense birth, & MRI showed dried blood on the brain but no serve damage! She will have to see neurology as an out patient indefinitely. Her ECHO showed a slight irregularity in the upper valves .

She finally had a clear chest X-ray of the lungs, and her oxygen levels decreased over time, she’s officially breathing on her own !

The IV has been removed!!!!

Freyjas current state:

⁃ She has a feeding tube as she’s refusing to eat on her own .

⁃ She is jaundice and receiving antibiotics to help keep her liver as healthy as possible while it breaks down the toxins

⁃ Still having blood draws and blood o2 checked daily

⁃ Mom and dad can hold her ! & are taking full advantage of those baby snuggles as much as they can!!

The prayers are definitely being heard, please keep them coming!!!!!

UPDATE 3/2/25:

Freyja is HOME!!!! Mom & Dad couldn’t be happier to have her home with them! As they are learning this new parenting thing, & getting a new routine down, they will not be accepting any visitors at this time. Freyja is very fragile still and her safety is mom & dad’s number one priority. We understand a lot of you want to meet her, but we really need everyone to be patient and respectful of mom & dad’s privacy and wishes at this time.

Thank you so much for the prayers and support and love during this journey. You are all greatly appreciated!!