Help Emma Thrive: Build a Safe Home Addition

Many, many people have prayed for us and our identical twin girls over the past 18 months. Samantha was released from the hospital at 6 weeks old. Emma was released at 16 months old. It has been a very long journey for all of us.

Emma has a tracheostomy and is on a ventilator 24/7—she cannot survive without it. (She is essentially constantly intubated.) Emma has severe pulmonary hypertension; her lungs do not expand properly. She also has a mutation in her TBX4 gene. She is fed through a GJ tube and has a G tube for gravity drainage. Emma has very fragile bones and receives bone infusions every two months to help with this.

She is finally home, and the doctors have said her current goal is to prove she can remain at home. Right now, our home functions as a PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). It can be stressful, scary, and hard—but we are so happy to have Emma home.

We are currently raising money to build an addition to our house. We've been house-hunting for the past 10 months and haven't found anything better suited to our needs. Buying a new house in today’s market is extremely expensive, especially with how high interest rates are. The interest rate on our current home is excellent, and our house is in the perfect location for our family.

We live just 7 minutes from the fire department—which is important, as we often have to call 911 due to Emma's condition. We’re able to get groceries delivered, which is critical since Emma has never lived outside a hospital setting. Our family is only 8 minutes away and can help with our other children in emergency situations.

We’ve looked into grants, volunteer builders, and other resources, but unfortunately, there aren’t many in our area that support families like ours. While our house is in the right location, it’s only 964 square feet. It’s a small, cozy farmhouse. We made it work for a while, but all the bedrooms are upstairs, while the kitchen, living room, and bathroom are downstairs.

I used to carry Emma—along with her vent, monitors, and feeding tubes—up and down the stairs by myself. Emma is physically like a newborn; she needs full-body support. One day, while carrying her, I fell and sprained my knee. (Given how fragile Emma’s bones are, any fall could be life-altering.) Thankfully, she was not hurt, but I couldn’t walk for a week. That fall made me realize we couldn't keep living this way.

We moved into the kitchen area downstairs so I wouldn’t have to carry Emma up and down the stairs anymore. It’s working for now—but we really don’t want to sleep in our kitchen long-term.

We’re planning to build an addition to our home: a new bedroom for Andy and me, a living room, and a "medical room"—a bedroom for Emma, connected to ours. Emma will likely be on a ventilator for a long time. In an emergency, the closer we are to her, the better.

We are seeking help to raise money for this addition. It’s a large goal, but God is bigger. He has already shown us that He can do great things—and we trust He will continue to provide.

People from all kinds of religious backgrounds have prayed for Emma’s healing and strength. We believe there is only one way to Heaven, and that is through the Bible’s teachings. But we are deeply grateful for every person who has lifted their voice in prayer and supported us during this journey.

It has been incredibly expensive to travel back and forth to the hospital. Now that our home is Emma’s hospital, we want to make it the best it can be for her. Please help us build an addition so we can take better care of her—now and as she grows. She deserves to have her own room and not sleep next to Mom and Dad every night.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Please consider sharing it with your family and friends!