In Memory of Eleanor: Support for Alex & Emily

For the second time in our lives, Alex and I were on the cusp of having our dreams come true. Instead of being able to celebrate, we are left with unimaginable grief. I am devastated to share that we have lost our baby girl, Eleanor Quinn. Eleanor was born prematurely on December 30th; I was only 32 weeks along. She was unable to breathe due to a meconium cyst in her belly. Our medical team was able to intubate her, and just 4 hours after birth, she was flown to Children's National. She had surgery to correct the cyst at just 2 days old. Eleanor fought hard for two weeks and had actually made tremendous progress. Alex and I were certain we would be able to bring her home, but we knew she needed further corrective surgery on her intestines. I was just wrapping my head around spending at least 2 months in the hospital with her when a hole in her bowels led to an infection. In just 48 hours, we watched our beautiful girl deteriorate. She passed away on January 15th at just 2 weeks old. There is absolutely nothing that can describe the pain we feel. It all still feels unreal. Our hearts will forever long for our sweet little girl.