Blakely’s Story: A Journey of Faith and Resilience

Shared by her family on behalf of Skyler and Madi James

Blakely’s life has been full of miracles that started long before she entered the world. After a long battle with infertility, Madi got pregnant through an IUI treatment. Around 20 weeks in pregnancy, Madi’s doctors were concerned about baby Blakely’s growth, and decided to continue monitoring her closely. After a routine OB appointment in mid-April, Madi started to experience intense back pain and went to the hospital. Lab work and monitoring identified concerns with Madi’s body and that she needed to be transferred to a bigger hospital with more resources. There, she was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, a pregnancy complication that is life-threatening to both mom and baby. At the recommendation of her doctors, an emergency c-section was performed at 25 weeks and 6 days.

At birth, Blakely was given a 60% chance of survival, and she has been fighting ever since. She weighed 1 lb and 3 oz. Madi and Blakely experienced multiple miracles over the course of the next few days that showed them the presence of God and their loved ones on the other side.

At only 11 days old, Blakely was life-flighted to Primary Children’s Hospital where she needed surgery. Blakely’s journey in the NICU has ups and downs, but she continues to grow and progress as her doctors and nurses monitor her closely for any complications. It is anticipated that Blakely will remain in the NICU for several months so she can receive the care she needs.

Blakely amazes everyone as she fights for her life and shows improvement. She is now 2.5 months (36 weeks gestational age) and weighs 3 lbs 6 oz. The James family has received an outpouring of support and love from their friends and family that has helped ease some of their burdens during this time. However, their NICU journey is not finished yet. This continues to be an overwhelming time for their family-- emotionally, physically, and financially. Between time away from work, transportation, medical costs, and daily needs, the costs are quickly adding up.

Many family and friends have asked how they can help, and so their family has set up this fundraiser as an opportunity for their village to provide some relief. Your kindness will help cover medical expenses not covered by insurance, as well as travel costs between Logan and Salt Lake City. If you are unable to donate right now, simply sharing this page with others would mean the world to us. And most of all, please keep Blakely in your thoughts as she grows stronger each day. We expect many more miracles!

Thank you for being a part of this challenging journey with us

With gratitude,

Madi, Skyler and Blakely James