Our daughter Hazel was born at just 26 weeks and spent months fighting for her life in the NICU. During that time, our world revolved around hospital visits, specialist appointments, medical procedures, and doing everything possible to be there for her every step of the way. Like many families facing a medical crisis, we used our savings first. We had always tried to be responsible and keep money set aside for emergencies. We never imagined, however, that we would face an emergency of this magnitude. Between months of travel, meals away from home, lodging, lost work time, medical-related expenses, and everyday bills, our savings disappeared much faster than we ever expected. When our savings were gone, we turned to credit cards to keep going. What started as a way to bridge the gap became a mountain of debt that continues to follow us today. Since then, we have done everything we can to improve our situation. My husband even accepted a higher-paying job to help our family recover financially. We are incredibly grateful for that opportunity, but despite the increased income, it still is not enough to overcome the crushing debt that this trial has placed upon our family. We have also started several small businesses in an effort to raise extra money and pay down the bills ourselves. We have poured our hearts into these businesses and continue to work hard, but sales have been slow and the income simply has not been enough to make a meaningful dent in the debt we accumulated while caring for Hazel. We have never been the type of people to ask for help. In fact, asking for help is one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to do. But after exhausting our savings, taking on debt to care for our daughter, working additional jobs, and trying to build small businesses to catch up, we find ourselves needing support. Any donation will go directly toward paying down the debt created during Hazel’s medical journey, covering essential household expenses, and helping our family regain financial stability so we can focus on what matters most—our children and Hazel’s continued growth and recovery. Whether you are able to donate, share our story, or simply keep our family in your prayers, we are deeply grateful. Thank you for taking the time to read Hazel’s story and for supporting our family during one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. With love and gratitude, Mikaela, Tyson, Hazel, Xander, and Wesley