At 18.5 weeks, Kerrie’s water broke, and the medical community thought she would quickly deliver their son, Erik; so the doctors started talking about “comfort care” (how to make him comfortable until he passed from this life), as they do not yet have the technology to save such small babies.

But that did not happen! Kerrie was on bedrest in the hospital for 10.5 weeks, then delivered Erik at 27 weeks and 3 days, via emergency C-Section. With almost no fluid for his last 10 weeks, the doctors painted a very grim picture of Erik’s future; but much to their surprise, Erik cried when he was delivered, and moved his arms and legs! An absolute miracle!

He was then rushed to the NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and put on a high-intensity ventilator! At 2 lbs, 10oz, with severe lung disease from having very little amniotic fluid for so long, the doctors were very skeptical at how this would turn out.

Fast-forward, and Erik is now 34 weeks, weighs 3.5lbs, and is on just a conventional ventilator (big steps made!); and while his lungs still need to heal and grow, he is getting stronger each day.

Kerrie’s OB mentioned that throughout his entire career delivering babies (and he is not young), Kerrie is only the second person that he’s seen deliver a baby after such a long time from the water breaking, that had a chance at making it at life!

We had hoped we would not have to use the GoFundMe route; but our little warrior Erik is still in the NICU, and they have not given us a possible date for him to be released to come home. Jeff has to go back to work full time, after using his paid time off to support Kerrie, the girls, and Erik. Kerrie is headed back to work as well; which means the family will no longer be staying close to Erik’s hospital, as they have been at the Ronald McDonald House for the past 6 weeks. The family will be moving back home, to accommodate work, school, and being with the girls; which is about an 1 hour and 15 minutes from the hospital. With mounting gas prices, and medical bills beginning to come in for both Kerrie and Erik’s hospital stays, they need some extra resources. They have used up all their savings, and have been happy to do so; but are at the end of that supply.