In July, Elizabeth was diagnosed with Vasa Privera, a very severe pregnancy complication that threatened the life of her and her baby. Due to this complication, she was abruptly admitted to the Anti-Partum unit of VCU Medical Center for the last eight weeks of her pregnancy before having her daughter early via C-section in September, resulting in her baby being in the NICU for a period of time. This paired with Elizabeth's maternity leave resulted in her being out of work from July to December.

Due to being out of work months earlier than expected, the Herring family was forced to utilize the savings they originally put aside for maternity leave to cover expenses while Elizabeth was in the hospital. This paired with costs associated with Elizabeth's maternity leave emptied the family's savings.

Elizabeth returned to work on December 15 and was abruptly terminated on December 19. This resulted in the family losing half of their income unexpectedly and struggling to pay bills due to their savings being emptied. The family is asking for any help to cover immediate expenses while Elizabeth works to find new employment. Any assistance is greatly appreciated by the family.