Help Heidi & New Baby with Medical Needs.

UPDATE: Thank you everyone who has donated so far! It means a lot to Heidi and she is grateful for you help. I wanted to share here that the baby has Myelomeningocele Spina Bifida, this is the most severe kind someone can be diagnosed with. So far baby has been healing from the surgery. Heidi is in need of assisting medical devices right away before they return home.

I will share here a link if you would like to read more about this Spina Bifida diagnosis.

Myelomeningocele Spina Bifida

Heidi is also looking for the following items.

- bottle warmer

- baby bath/ bath seat

- nursing pillow

- play pen- with infant setting

If you have these items in good condition and no longer need please message me here. Must live near or in Campbell River BC please.

Past posted story:

Heidi has been a part of the Campbell River community for almost a decade and has been involved in complementary healthcare and social services. She recently welcomed a new baby daughter born with spina bifida, a permanent spinal cord condition.

Due to this condition, she underwent surgery shortly after birth and possibly another one shortly after to prevent further damage because of her condition. During this time, Heidi and her new daughter will need to stay in Vancouver while she receives care at BC Children's Hospital for an undetermined length of time, but most likely at least a few weeks after her birth. Her condition will be ongoing and requires specialist care throughout her life, only available in Vancouver. Heidi has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House for the past month as this was a high-risk pregnancy. This became a precarious situation, forcing Heidi to leave her job earlier than expected, and the pre-stay in Vancouver away from her home, support system, and loss of income has put a financial burden and extra stress on her as she welcomed her child into the world.

During this time, Heidi and her partner are experiencing added expenses: she is staying in Vancouver with their daughter, traveling back and forth, and also getting other family to Vancouver to support both Heidi and their new daughter.

Heidi also has two school-aged children at home whom she is supporting. Her family assists in bringing her older son and daughter to visit during her stay in the hospital with their new sister.

In addition, Heidi does not yet have many baby essentials at home and will also need additional medical equipment/ supplies that are not all fully covered by MSP. There will also be ongoing medical visits to Vancouver every few months to monitor her baby's health and provide treatments and surgeries as needed.

Any funds raised will go towards the extra expenses for staying in Vancouver at Children's Hospital, travel expenses for her children and family, baby essentials and medical supplies, and assistance with household bills while Heidi is away with her new daughter.

I want to thank you for helping Heidi. I know this child is blessed to have such a strong and loving Mother such as Heidi, who will make sure they have all the supports in place as she navigates bringing a newborn home with spina bifida.

Thank you kindly for all your love and support.

-Sasha