TL;DR
"...Immediately following the delivery, the doctors discovered that Zane was not breathing on his own, he had a broken arm, and they were worried about brain damage from the prolonged lack of oxygen. Additionally, he was diagnosed with shoulder dystocia. Due to his condition, Zane had to be flown to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Tyler and Jasa did not get to hold their son before he left..."

Hey there, my name is Kyle Volkman, and I’m fundraising for Tyler and Jasa Volkman, my brother and sister-in-law.

In September 2020, Tyler and Jasa had a beautiful wedding that solidified a beautiful relationship. They were eager to enjoy life together. In quick succession, they celebrated their marriage by moving into a new apartment and, more importantly, by announcing a pregnancy.

Family and friends have been showering Tyler and Jasa with support. They share a childlike happiness and are truly meant-to-be. Everyone has been so happy for them and their son.

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Zane Volkman was born on August 20 in an Erie, PA hospital. Unfortunately, the delivery had complications. The doctors struggled with the epidural shot, Zane weighed more than anticipated, and Zane was not coming out as planned. It was a painful and traumatic delivery for Jasa, Tyler, and Zane.

Immediately following the delivery, the doctors discovered that Zane was not breathing on his own, he had a broken arm, and they were worried about brain damage from the prolonged lack of oxygen. Additionally, he was diagnosed with shoulder dystocia. Due to his condition, Zane had to be flown to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Tyler and Jasa did not get to hold their son before he left.

Zane has been making progress. He has received phototherapy for jaundice which has recently subsided. His arm was in a splint but today his doctor decided to take out the splint and bandage it to his side. He has an MRI scheduled for tonight to check for any brain damage, but his doctors are optimistic.

This has been an emotional and traumatic experience for Jasa and Tyler. Additionally, Jasa is slowly recovering from her painful delivery. Last night, they’ve finally reunited in Pittsburgh with Zane. Friends and family hope for the best in the coming days and weeks.

Tyler and Jasa did their best to prepare for their newborn — Tyler works full-time and Jasa part-time. Unfortunately, they didn’t plan for a delivery as complicated as this one. One silver lining is that they have medical assistance health insurance to cover most of Zane’s medical bills. They also are staying at the Ronald McDonald House which partners with the Children’s Hospital.

Sadly, bringing a newborn into this world is still very expensive. Their jobs have limited maternity / paternity leave. They have to account for the gas money from the trips from Erie to Pittsburgh. They don’t know yet how long it will be until they can bring Zane home. Furthermore, Jasa’s recovery will take longer than they had planned.

Tyler and Jasa don’t currently know when they will have to go back to work and what kind of care Zane will require or for how long. All of this has serious consequences for them financially. During a pandemic and as we approach winter months, I don’t want them to worry about money as they recover emotionally and physically from a traumatic birth.

I come from a family who is extremely independent, and Tyler has lived that out his whole life. He works hard and provides for his family. He’s never asked for help before or now, but I brought this idea to him to relieve some of his stress and anxiety. Know that anything you donate will directly go to Zane’s recovery.

Thank you so much. I will be posting updates that Tyler provides on here.