On Sunday, December 12, our precious 7 week old baby girl started to sound congested. We spent most of the day by the humidifier, giving her saline drops and suctioning her nose. We weren't too worried because she seemed happy and playful. We had no idea what was about to come our way.

 

 

 

 

By the evening, I noticed Lia looked really tired and didn't want to eat, so I put her to bed early. She started waking up every few hours crying and was hard to comfort. Her eyes and nose looked a little red.

 

 

 

 

Within 24 hours she started developing a slight cough. On Tuesday she started wheezing, so we took her to the pediatrician where he told me he thought she had RSV and may need to go to the hospital if it got worse.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday morning, Lia's breathing became very rapid and labored. Her chest started retracting, so we took her to the Summerlin Hospital Emergency Room. After evaluation, it was determined that she needed oxygen, IV fluids and would be spending the night in the pediatric unit.

 

 

 

Although we were scared, we were optimistic and thought we would be leaving after 2 days in the hospital. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

 

Lia's tiny body was completely exhausted from fighting to breathe. Her lungs began to fill with fluid and difficult decisions had to be made, in order to save her life.

 

By Saturday night, she could no longer breathe on her own, and the doctor gave us the difficult news that he would need to intubate our tiny baby girl, as well as place a central IV line through her neck and run it down to her heart.

 

I was allowed to hold her one last time before the procedure. I kissed her head and promised her that I would be here no matter what, and that she wouldn't be left alone. I told her that me or her Abba (dad) would always be in the room with her, and that we would make sure she received the best care possible. We have kept our word.

 

 

 

After about an hour or so, the doctor came to get us and told us that the procedure went well and allowed us back into the room. We were not prepared for what we saw. Our precious miracle IVF baby, who we fought so hard to conceive, was laying there completely limp and connected to multiple machines keeping her alive. We couldn't hold it anymore and broke down sobbing for hours.

 

 

Today is December 20, and our baby remains in critical condition in the PICU. She requires continual support and will likely be here for several more weeks. I am staying here 24/7 to provide fresh breastmilk to be given via a feeding tube, and to uphold my promise to never leave her alone. Her father is working around the clock to keep his small business running, while traveling between the hospital and our house to care for our dog and bring food and clothing to me. We are uninsured and will owe hundreds of thousands for Lia's treatment. We enrolled her in insurance but her coverage doesn't start until January 1, 2022. We plan to apply for scholarships for her medical bills, but we still need immediate help to pay for our house, food, and utilities. Lia will require extra care when we return from the hospital, which means I will need to take time off work for a while, possibly several months with reduced income, and possibly no income for a short period. 

 

Although it is beyond difficult for me to share this story and ask for help, this is the position we are in, and it has now become clear that we cannot survive this on our own.

 

Any amount donated, no matter how small or big is a blessing, and will help us keep our home and provide us with the support we need to keep caring for our newborn daughter. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

 

Allie, Daniel and Lia