Medical expenses for little Otis Elm Gilmore

On Sunday January 16th, at 1:49pm Otis Elm Gilmore was born via emergency c-section.

 

Around noon that Sunday I decided that something wasn’t right and we needed to go get checked for peace of mind. Once we were put on the monitor it became apparent that Otis was in distress. I was immediately rushed to the operating room to undergo an emergency c-section. There was no time for a spinal block. I was intubated and they started cutting as my anesthesia took over. Evan was not able to come with me.

Something had gone horribly wrong inside me, there wasn’t enough fluid and he had pooped in what little fluid he had and breathed it in. Otis was not breathing and after hours of life saving work at Kaiser Santa Rosa he was life flighted to UC Davis Children’s Hospital. We don’t know what happened or why and we may never know.

 

Our NICU baby is incredibly sick, He had an astoundingly traumatic birth which has resulted in a cascade of problems. He has -severe- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension, he has been on cooling therapy for 72 hours to help with any possible damaging effects of his lack of oxygen, he has edema from liver issues.

We have just found out he has a brain bleed. He is undergoing bedside surgery. 

 

 

Our son has fought for his life every minute since being born.

 

Evan has been by his side this whole time, holding his hand and comforting him while I was still in the hospital and couldn’t be there. Making sure everyone in our family was updated continuously, and making sure that I knew everything that was happening. I can’t imagine a better partner to wade through this storm with.

I myself am recovering from an extremely traumatic event, and major abdominal surgery. I am in pain in ways I never knew I could feel. I am finding strength in places I didn’t know I had it.

 

We have a long and bumpy road ahead of us as a family, but we are a family and we are together. 

We need your prayers, we need your love and

support, and we need your strength.

 

We will be in Sacramento for some time while Otis receives his treatments at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

—Jora

 

For those of you that would like to donate directly you may do so through

Venmo: jora_angel

This will be a journey, not a race. Your kindness and generosity does not go unnoticed.