John Patrick West

Hi, My name is Tarrah Wuestenberg and I'm fundraising for my Brother-in-law and his Wife, Bryan and Abby West. It is with great sadness that we make known the passing of Bryan and Abby West’s newborn son, John Patrick (“Jackie”) West on Easter Sunday 2023.

Abby’s pregnancy was healthy and uneventful as they prepared to welcome John Patrick in the comfort of their home with the support of their midwife. On Good Friday, John Patrick was ready to enter the world and join his parents and older sister Lara. During the final moments of the birthing process, unforeseen complications arose which resulted in Abby hemorrhaging and John Patrick becoming unresponsive due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around his neck making him unable to breathe. In an instant, both Abby and John Patrick needed life-saving medical attention. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where Abby received emergency blood transfusions, and John Patrick was confined to life-support machines to revive him. While Abby was recovering, John Patrick was flown to UC Davis hospital in Sacramento for neonatal life support. Once Abby was stable enough to travel, she joined Bryan and John Patrick. Sadly, doctors were unable to stabilize him. Although he was a healthy, full-term, 11-pound baby, the trauma sustained during the birth had made his chances of surviving outside of life-support impossible. Doctors encouraged Bryan, Abby, friends, and family to pray for a miracle. On Easter Sunday 2023 Bryan and Abby held their son, free of the life-support machines, until he passed away five hours later.

The Wests need our help. The unbearable tragedy of losing a healthy newborn baby and almost losing Abby has left them with an insurmountable amount of medical debt. This family had just recently relocated to Redding, California and currently do not have health insurance. All funds contributed will help them cover costs of medical bills, funeral arrangements, and enable Bryan to take time off work to support his grieving wife and daughter and to grieve himself. John Patrick’s birth was going to be such a great joy for the whole family as they continue to mourn the loss of Bryan’s brother Daniel, who died on March 17, 2022.

The Wests have endured immense tragedy in a short period of time, and people in our communities can help them grieve without the worry of making ends meet. Please find it in your heart to support this family through monetary donations and sharing this post far and wide.

“How very quietly you tiptoed into our world, silently, only a moment you stayed. But what an imprint your footprints have left upon our hearts” -Dorothy Ferguson