Help Baby John and Parents Find Stability in KY

My name is Julie Jent and I am writing this story for my best friend in the entire world, Amber Gay, and her small family. Much of the story below is written by Amber, who has a heart of gold. She is such a generous, loving, and kind individual but it is very hard for her to ask others for help, especially financially. I offered to help share her story in the hopes that others, like myself, are able to contribute to basic necessities for her, her boyfriend, and the newest member to the family, John Titus Klang.

 

In 2019 Amber lost her first son in the second trimester due to pregnancy complications. Upon getting pregnant with her second child, this year (2021), she took many precautions in order to prevent the loss of another child. She was feeling physically okay and stable, despite having stress associated with living from paycheck to paycheck. Her boyfriend is on a fixed income that barely covers the cost of their rent each month (~$700). And at the time she got pregnant with her second child, she was working at a grocery store, who were unwilling to give her any leave from work, which she anticipated needing once she had her son. She was able to find another job at a fast-food restaurant, who were willing to accommodate the time off she may need.

 

A couple of weeks into the job and she went to an ultrasound appointment. At that appointment, she found out that she would need to be sent to the hospital immediately as her cervix was 100% thinned. She was in the hospital for a few days when they had to perform an emergency C-section at 25 weeks.

 

Prior to that, they were able to give Amber steroids those first few days in the hospital in order to help develop John's lungs, given that lungs typically form later in the pregnancy. Upon baby John being welcomed into the world, he let out a cry, that was so unexpected and emotional for both mom and the healthcare professionals present. His lungs were powerful and despite weighing only 1 pound and 12 ounces, he was strong for his age. Thankfully, baby John was born stable, and the surgery went well.

 

Amber was discharged from the hospital after being there for a short time to recover. Now she is back home and unable to go back to work until at least 6 weeks after having a C-section, which means they are going 6+ weeks with only one person's income. This puts them in a position to be unable to meet all of their basic needs for the next few months. In addition, the expenses of driving from Richmond to Lexington (in Kentucky) and back on an almost daily basis to visit baby John in the NICU is going to put further strain on their finances.

 

Currently, they on the verge of either losing their apartment, having utilities shut off, or struggling to buy food. They plan on applying for assistance such as food stamps and Wic but have been unable to get approved at the point that I am writing this. They also hope to be able to gather baby items for John, since they were unable to have any baby shower, and he will be in the hospital for at least 3 more months.

 

As Amber said, "No one likes to ask for money and anyone that knows me knows that it's a very hard thing for me to do. I do my best to never have to rely on anyone financially, but in this case, I'm worried we will lose our apartment before we get to bring our baby boy home and that scares me more than anything. All we ask is for something to help us through these next couple of months until I can get back to work and get us back to our normal income."

Anything you can help provide is extremely appreciated and will make such a big impact in the lives of this small family. Even kind words of support or encouragement are valued and needed at this time.