Mighty Mack: The Cutchin Family NICU Support Fund

On January 22nd, our lives shifted dramatically. My wife Katie, pregnant with our second child, was placed on high-risk status. Weekly doctor visits began and she stopped working, doing everything possible to protect our son, whose due date was June 29.

Early in the morning, on April 9th, Katie’s amniotic fluid ruptured at just 28 weeks. She was rushed from Advent Hospital in Ocala, Florida to Advent Orlando where they have the highest level NICU and could handle the early arrival of our son. Katie was admitted to the hospital and doctors did everything they could to keep the baby from coming early. She could not leave until our baby was born—whenever that might be. She spent weeks alone in a hospital room while I stayed behind with our 5-year-old daughter, Poppy, trying to keep school, work, and life together, only visiting Katie on weekends.

Meet Mack Wayne Cutchin

After over 30 hours of contractions, our son Mack Wayne was born on April 25th at 10:50 p.m., weighing just 4 lbs .7 oz at 30 weeks and 5 days. He came into this world strong—a roaring cry, breathing on his own—but still needing oxygen, a feeding tube, and intensive NICU care.

Just four days later, Katie was hospitalized again and diagnosed with bradycardia (a dangerously low heart rate). She began outpatient care with a cardiologist and has since been monitored closely.

Thanks to the Ronald McDonald House, we were given a room just steps away from Mack’s NICU for 31 days. It was a blessing, providing proximity and a safe place for Katie as we lived between two cities. Katie spent 8+ hours every day in NICU with Mack, staying involved with his care and bonding with our son. On June 5th, Mack graduated from the NICU after 41 days and came home on oxygen support.

A Setback and a Scare

Just three days after coming home, Mack and Katie were rushed back to Orlando. Mack was lethargic, struggling to breathe and eat due to reflux and improperly set up oxygen equipment at home. Two separate technicians had unknowingly hooked it up wrong, putting Mack at risk. Thankfully, our instincts to turn the machine off when it didn’t seem right, and the third technician’s expertise, likely saved his life.

Over those 3 days and during the second hospital stay, Katie experienced severe anxiety attacks. The months of separation, constant beeping of machines, medical fear, and physical stress took their toll. She was advised to stop breastfeeding and start treatment to help stabilize her mental health.

On June 10th, Mack and Katie finally came home—for real this time. Mack still requires oxygen support and regular monitoring, and almost all of his follow-up appointments are out of town due to the lack of pediatric specialists in Ocala.

Why We’re Asking for Help

This GoFundMe will help our family:

• Cover lost income from missed work (I’m a teacher and nursery grower with travel-based and seasonally fluctuating income)

• Recover expenses from travel and living between two cities

• Pay for travel expenses for Mack’s frequent out-of-town medical appointments

• Offset medical costs and future treatments for Mack

• Support our family as we continue adjusting to life at home with a medically fragile newborn

We are also committed to giving back. If we reach our fundraising goal, we will donate $5,000 to the Ronald McDonald House. That amount covers one full year of housing for other families with hospitalized children. We were deeply moved by the other families we met there, and we want to pay it forward.

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How You Can Help

If you can donate—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If you can’t, please consider sharing this page with your friends, family, and community.

Your support—emotional, financial, and spiritual—means everything to us right now.

With gratitude,

David, Katie, Poppy & Mack Cutchin