Heath and Kylie were pregnant with a baby girl, due to be born on February 24th, 2021. 
On Nov 2, 2020, Baby Lyra was born 3 and a half months early at Gauthier Memorial in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Weighing just 1 pound 8 ounces, she was immediately under constant care of the amazing nurses in the NICU.  She had to have chest intubation, constantly be incubated, and be fed through a tube, just to survive. Over the next 2 months she would slowly grow, with her parents, Heath and Kylie, living just 20 minutes away, they could visit almost daily. Then it was discovered that she had a condition common to micro preemies, called Retinopathy of Prematurity. This is when the development of blood vessels of the eyes is interrupted by early labor. The decision was made to transfer her to New Orleans for possible treatment of her eyes. 

Early January she was transported by helicopter to the Children's Hospital. Her mother, Kylie, followed soon after to be with her, in New Orleans, while Heath stayed in Sulphur to work to pay their monthly bills. Kylie and Baby Lyra have now been in New Orleans for over a month.  It has become evident that Kylie can no longer manage the responsibility of having an infant in the NICU on her own. It is clear that Heath needs to be with his wife and infant daughter.  

Baby Lyra now weighs over 6 pounds, is in an open crib, and takes all of her feeds by bottle.  Her little lungs are still developing, so she still needs the hospitals oxygen support at this time. They are hoping that she can go home sometime in the next four weeks. She is just 38 weeks gestationally, and these next few weeks are crucial in her development and facilitating a smooth transition home. 

We are hoping to help them meet their goal of 3500 dollars to pay a month of their living expenses, both at home and away, to care for baby Lyra. 


Here is a link to an interview about their story. Lyras story