Join Nicholas's Fight for a Healthy Heart

On April 16th, we learned our son, Nicholas, had developed a congenital heart disease while still in the womb. Specifically, he was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). We’re incredibly grateful that it was discovered early, which allowed us to be sent on life-flight to Children’s Hospital in Denver, CO—one of the best places in the country for his care.

Nicholas was born on April 17th at 3:51 PM, weighing 8 lbs 3 oz. Immediately after birth, he was intubated and taken to the cath lab for an urgent procedure to stabilize his blood flow. He responded well, and the following day underwent a second procedure to further support his recovery. Since then, he’s made encouraging progress—he’s now off the ventilator, and we’ve been able to hold him in our arms.

As time has gone on, although he has been stable in the Cardiac ICU, his heart has not continued to progress in function. After trying a few less invasive procedures, it was determined he will need multiple heart surgeries to give him the best chance at a full, healthy life. After the first surgery, he’ll spend a few more weeks in the ICU, followed by time in the step-down unit (CPCU), before hopefully being discharged with us into the local area to continue healing and prepare for follow up surgeries. We expect his next surgery to be when he is six months old.

With any luck, we will be able to go home to Billings, MT a few weeks after his second planned surgery, so we’re hoping to be home by Christmas. In the meantime, we expect to bring our other children (James, age 4, and Luke, age 2) down to Denver to all finally live together as a family. Margaret is planning to home-school James’ kindergarten while Marcus returns back to work, all while sharing Nick’s care. All this upheaval will impact Margaret’s ability to work. While we’re grateful that Marcus’ job provides insurance and we’ve received enormous generosity from the Ronald McDonald House, friends, and family, we are unsure what financial challenges we’ll face as we settle in for the long road of Nick’s recovery. In addition to our immediate needs, we will have to travel back and forth between Billings and Denver every few months for the coming years.

We are so thankful for all of your prayers—they are being answered every day in his continued battle. Regardless of your ability to help financially, we ask you to keep praying for Nick and the rest of our family.

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.”

Romans 12:12