Erin is such a natural caregiver it is easy to see why she wanted to be a mom. She’s wanted to be a mom as long as we could remember. And everyone knew she’d be a great one - patient, real, generous, reliable, filled with love to give. For years, she’d watch friend after friend become a mom, dutifully by their side, celebrating every moment wholly despite her own yearning. So, when she finally married her now husband in 2017, Erin’s dream of a family filled with children became within reach.
After two years of trying and the pain of an early miscarriage, Erin became a mom to Adenike - a strong willed, courageous, bright-eyed girl just like her mama – on July 24, 2020. Motherhood filled every inch of Erin’s heart and day so much so that she dismissed the massive headaches she was having soon after giving birth. After several days of headaches, Erin woke barely able to move or speak. Somehow, she found the strength to stumble down the stairs and point to her head. We would later learn that Erin had a hemorrhaging stroke, only nine days after Baby Adenike was born.
We wouldn’t know for weeks if she would live, speak or move on her own… if she would be a mom. Thankfully, after a life-saving hemicraniectomy where they opened her skull so her brain had room to swell and hopefully relieve the building pressure, Erin begun to stabilize and improve. And over the last few weeks in rehab it became evident that Erin would one day hug her baby, kiss her baby, take care of her baby. She will be a mom, no matter what her physical capacity may be.
Erin’s road to recovery will be long and hard. She gets released from in-patient rehab on October 16th, transitioning to outpatient care. Right now, she can speak very few words and can only use (to varying degrees) the left side of her body. But she has her smile, her spirit and a goal in sight. She has something – everything - to fight for in Adenike and her family. It is our hope that we would now come together to help care for our girl in the way she has cared for and helped so many of us. Our goal is to raise $60,000 for Erin and her family to pay for 8 months of living expenses above and beyond the short-term disability she is receiving and medical bills, including continued rehabilitation. Anything that you can give, big or small, will go a long way to helping ensure Erin can be the mom she wants so very much to be.
The funds will be managed by Maria Bradley, Erin's mother. Maria moved into Erin's home in Bowie, Maryland, when Erin returned home from delivering her baby. As Erin had her stroke 9 days after Adenike was born, Maria never returned to her own home and will remain with Erin indefinitely. Erin is currently unable to care for herself or baby without ongoing assistance given her paralysis. The funds will used to pay for Erin's health care (copayments, out of pocket, rehabilitation, therapies, medical support accessories, etc.) and help cover living expenses (rent, utilities, necessities for the baby and herself, etc.). Erin has been unable to work since August 3, 2020. We do not know when she will be able to return to work.
After two years of trying and the pain of an early miscarriage, Erin became a mom to Adenike - a strong willed, courageous, bright-eyed girl just like her mama – on July 24, 2020. Motherhood filled every inch of Erin’s heart and day so much so that she dismissed the massive headaches she was having soon after giving birth. After several days of headaches, Erin woke barely able to move or speak. Somehow, she found the strength to stumble down the stairs and point to her head. We would later learn that Erin had a hemorrhaging stroke, only nine days after Baby Adenike was born.
We wouldn’t know for weeks if she would live, speak or move on her own… if she would be a mom. Thankfully, after a life-saving hemicraniectomy where they opened her skull so her brain had room to swell and hopefully relieve the building pressure, Erin begun to stabilize and improve. And over the last few weeks in rehab it became evident that Erin would one day hug her baby, kiss her baby, take care of her baby. She will be a mom, no matter what her physical capacity may be.
Erin’s road to recovery will be long and hard. She gets released from in-patient rehab on October 16th, transitioning to outpatient care. Right now, she can speak very few words and can only use (to varying degrees) the left side of her body. But she has her smile, her spirit and a goal in sight. She has something – everything - to fight for in Adenike and her family. It is our hope that we would now come together to help care for our girl in the way she has cared for and helped so many of us. Our goal is to raise $60,000 for Erin and her family to pay for 8 months of living expenses above and beyond the short-term disability she is receiving and medical bills, including continued rehabilitation. Anything that you can give, big or small, will go a long way to helping ensure Erin can be the mom she wants so very much to be.
The funds will be managed by Maria Bradley, Erin's mother. Maria moved into Erin's home in Bowie, Maryland, when Erin returned home from delivering her baby. As Erin had her stroke 9 days after Adenike was born, Maria never returned to her own home and will remain with Erin indefinitely. Erin is currently unable to care for herself or baby without ongoing assistance given her paralysis. The funds will used to pay for Erin's health care (copayments, out of pocket, rehabilitation, therapies, medical support accessories, etc.) and help cover living expenses (rent, utilities, necessities for the baby and herself, etc.). Erin has been unable to work since August 3, 2020. We do not know when she will be able to return to work.