Support for Liam

My name is Joe, and this is my nephew, Liam David Brandt. He’s super cute! He was born to some pretty awesome parents, Caleb and Abby Brandt, on Tuesday, July 18th. Abby had a rough pregnancy, but Liam was growing well and things were looking good. During delivery, however, Liam took a turn for the worse.

My sister Abby is a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse and has dedicated years of her life to caring for tiny babies. When Liam was born, she noticed immediately that something was wrong. He was unresponsive and not breathing. A team of fellow nurses quickly admitted him to the NICU and tried to stabilize him. He was diagnosed with severe respiratory distress, and his condition continued to deteriorate over the next few hours and days. Medication after medication was added, he was hooked up to so many tubes and wires that Abby could barely see his tiny body, and finally he was intubated and put on a ventilator.

Still he continued to decline, and Abby and Caleb realized that they were going to lose their baby if something didn’t change quickly. They began to push for Liam to be transferred to a higher level NICU for more intensive and knowledgeable care. Transferring patients between hospitals is a complicated and exhausting process, and Liam’s condition was becoming more critical by the minute. We were all praying in earnest. Abby and Caleb were beyond exhausted.

But God had a plan. He opened the doors for Liam to be transferred to a top level NICU out of state. In the early hours of Saturday, July 22nd, Liam was air-lifted via helicopter from Indiana to Advocate Children’s Hospital in Chicago. This was a hospital where Abby had previously worked, and the doctors and nurses and therapists threw themselves wholeheartedly into saving Liam’s fragile life. Within hours, it was clear that this was where Liam was supposed to be.

Over the next few days, Liam not only stabilized, but began to heal more quickly than any of us dared hope! He’s a feisty one! God was working miracles through the people at Advocate. The days passed, and one by one, the medications were weaned. The machines were turned off. The tubes and wires were pulled. We began to get pictures of his sweet little face. He was breathing! He was moving! He was eating! He was alive.

Liam has come a long way and overcome many things. We don’t know exactly what the future holds for him, and what challenges might be ahead because of his rough start to life, but we trust in God’s provision day by day. Liam is home now, doing all the normal baby things like smiling and fussing and keeping his tired parents up all night.

Now that Liam is home however, the NICU and life-flight bills have begun to pour in. Caleb and Abby have already received over 35 thousand dollars worth of medical expenses not covered by insurance. We expect that this amount will increase as the bills keep coming. My hope in starting this fund raiser is to help with the burden of these medicals costs as the Brandts try to recover and heal and figure out life with a medically complex newborn. Abby and Caleb are so grateful for the community of people who have surrounded them with love and support. Even if you don’t feel led to help financially right now, please keep Abby and Caleb and Liam in your prayers! Thank you all so much!