Help with medical and other bills for us and baby

Everything in the world gets so much bigger when the tiniest baby is born….


I am writing this request for help on behalf of my great-niece Jenna (Moore) Hughes, her husband Dustin and their precious new born son,  Atlas Michael Hughes.   Atlas was born by C-section at 27 weeks 3 days gestation, on December 16, 2021 with an original due date of March 14, 2022.   He weighed in at 2 pounds 1 ounce and was 13-½” long.  As his name implies he is now holding up the world for his Mom and Dad.  He is currently in the NICU at OU Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City.  He will be there for approximately 16 weeks to 20 weeks or meets all the milestones to be safely cared for at home.  His birth at 27 weeks was necessary to insure that Jenna survived and to give him the best chance of survival as well.  Jenna was critically ill and was in danger of organ failure when the Dr. decided they could not risk waiting any longer to bring this miracle into the world. .  Jenna and Dustin were married August 20, 2021 and were so excited for the future.  They were starting their married life and expecting their first child.  Doing everything young people do.  Jenna is going to college online, was setting up housekeeping as a new bride and was beginning to get a nursery set up for the baby’s arrival.  Dustin went to work and was taking care of his wife and getting ready to be a Dad.  Nothing could have prepared them for what was to very quickly become their new reality.  The fear that is associated with such a life altering event is hard enough to try to comprehend without all of the added stress of lost wages, late bills and unimaginable hospital bills.  That  secondary crisis hits very quickly as the rent comes due on the first of the month, utilities need to be paid, vehicles and the list goes on and on.  As you imagine Dustin missed a lot of work during the first days of Atlas’s life.  He was split between trying to support his tiny son in the NICU,  while also trying  to help Jenna when she was too ill to be up and around or to go to the nursery to be with their baby.  He realized  how much work he missed as he walked the halls of the hospital between his wife and baby.  They were not prepared for this emergency or anything that is going to come with it.  This is not about their ability to manage money or their life, it is about everything being out of control and your world shifted at 1:30 in the morning when you were told your baby will be delivered at 8 am.  The angels that work in the NICU can never be praised enough for the support they give the parents like Dustin and Jenna that are thrust into a completely foreign world.  You don’t understand what is happening and it is happening so fast.  You need everyone to slow down but they can’t because they have lives to save. The new vocabulary you are forced to try and understand is a foreign language.  Jena has been released from the hospital and spends her days traveling back-and-forth to the hospital. She needs to be resting and healing  from the C-section but is  desperate to spend every minute at the hospital with her baby.  She is being ordered by her Dr. to stay home and heal.  She was in serious trouble with her own health when Atlas was born.    Dustin has returned to his job as an Iron Worker but that work is dictated by weather.  That is another layer of financial concern.  There are many things that are needed for them to be ready for Atlas to be at home.  Without some help they could be in jeopardy of not being able to sustain life as they knew it through the coming months.  They want to have a home for Atlas, when he’s released from the hospital that is filled with everything he needs. They want to be good parents that take  good care of their child.  There will be more mountains to climb but each day needs to be taken on it’s own.  They just need enough to help them get through today and to be secure in the knowledge they have a home tomorrow.  With everything they are facing without help  they will certainly get farther and farther behind.  For that reason I am assisting Jenna and Dustin in setting up a GoFundMe page to make it easier for friends and family that can and want to help this sweet young couple in the coming months can do so easily.  If all you can do is offer prayers,  we thank you as  those are also greatly appreciated and desperately needed. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any assistance you can offer. All funds will be used to help with essential needs ie: Housing, utilities, vehicle payments, insurance, food or medical bills.  Whatever has the greatest need at the moment.  

 

Everything in the world gets so bigger when the tiniest baby is born…..Your heart gets bigger when you see your tiny child, your fear for their life gets bigger, your responsibility gets bigger, you worry get bigger, the needs of your baby gets bigger, your gratitude for small kindnesses gets bigger, your gratitude to hospital staff gets bigger, hospital and medical bills get bigger, your blessings get bigger, the size of your thumb gets bigger next to the babies footprint, and the list gets bigger and bigger…


Blessing to you and yours

Written by Darlene Matthews