Final Expenses for baby Colton

*It is with great sadness and heartache that this GOFUNDME has been changed from the goal of helping a young couple get through the challenges of being in the hospital with their son who was born 4 months too early, to helping this young couple with the final expenses of their angel boy who they were allowed 10 precious days with but only held once, which was as he was transitioning back home to the loving arms of Jesus. The family appreciates any help you can offer and requests prayers for strength and comfort in this devastating time. Please help us also by sharing this fundraising campaign. Continue reading for a full understanding of why this is so important to us. Blessing to you all .* First and foremost let me say, THANK YOU, for taking the time read to about our need.  For those of you who already know most of the story due to the prayer requests my family has been posting, my niece, Gini Ingram Maxwell, has been blessed with a second chance at being a mother, it has not come without an obstacle.  Here is her story:  GiniBeth (as we  call her, but she is grown up now and prefers Gini) loves and adores children, and does everything she can to make them feel like little princes or princesses (whichever the case may be).  When she was little she had a thing for fairytales, as most little girls do.  Although her family did what they could to always make her feel like the princess she was in their eyes, the glitter and sparkles weren't quite so glittery and sparkly.  This little princess was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 12, undergoing treatments for many years that left her sick and almost sucked the life right out of her, while still trying to be a normal kid.  Then life fast-pitched a major blow...the sudden death of her daddy when she was 20.  She had major life events to look forward to, and still needed his wisdom and guidance to get her through.  She hasn't even gotten married yet.  Who would walk her down the aisle to her Prince Charming, and who would she dance with at the reception during the daddy-daughter dance?  Who is going to spoil her babies and teach them about the great outdoors? Still, she persevered on and put herself through college, determined to make her daddy proud.  She met her Prince Charming (Michael Maxwell), fell in love, and got married.  In 2016 her fairytale dream was nearly complete - she was expecting her own little princess. Let the Pinterest Princess Baby Boards begin!!!  However, this joy was short lived - as life would deal her the cruelest of of blows yet, as if she hasn't lived through enough in her short life...she miscarried her princess in December of that year, leaving her brutally devastated.  Even through her darkest moments, with her broken spirit, she marched on.  Although she FELT alone, she was not alone in her battle.  She also had a husband who was grieving with her, and for her, and for their princess angel.  The princess who would never get to enjoy her magical bedroom, nor the birthday parties that had already been laid out for her.  There is life after loss though.  Fast forward a year later.  Christmas, 2017...we are blessed with the news that there will be a brand new addition to the Maxwell family.  Gini and Michael are expecting again!  With the wounds still not scarred over from the following year, fear kept the news detained until a safer time (6 weeks mark) to announce the exciting news to the rest of the family. March, 2018.  A regular routine check-up turns not so routine.  Gini's blood pressure was very high and there was also a high level of protein detected throughout her body, so her doctor sent her immediately over to the hospital for emergency intervention.  Once at the emergency room, it was deemed that her BP had reached stroke level and they went into swift action.  After the 4th time the medication to lower her BP was administered with no results, she was rushed to the UAB Women's and Infant's Center in Birmingham.  There, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia.  Unfortunately this is not something that can be cured with a 4-hour IV drip and then discharge papers home to await the arrival of her little prince - Colton Maxwell.  She will have to remain in Birmingham until Colton's birth, which had originally been calculated as July 17th.  However, given the now normal routine of Gini's blood pressure skyrocketing in the wee early morning hours, and having to go through the drudging task of getting through the treatment of having magnesium administered (which makes her extremely hot, then extremely nauseous, then bone-chilling cold and finally dosing off before there's any sign of relief), the doctors at UAB are making a game plan to deliver Colton via c-section.  They were hoping to hold off on the delivery until at least the 24th week.  Colton is currently measured at weighing only 1.4lbs.  The 24th week mark was met today, but the doctors are trying to wait as long as they can before delivering because, as most everyone knows, the longer the baby can stay in the womb, the greater chance he has at getting stronger and being able to fight harder to survive outside of the womb, yet it is not a guarantee.  Due to baby Colton being born weeks early, complications are anticipated, resulting in possible months spent in NICU until his organs and body weight have reached the goals set by the pediatrician in order for this little prince to be released to come home to the amazing life that awaits him.   Although sharing the most devastating memories of my niece's life with you has its benefits (for once I get to be the one to shed some spotlight on her, which she probably doesn't even realize I can do...insert a big Aunt grin here), it also brings back the ache in my heart I have felt for her each time I had to witness the heartbreak as she endured the things she had to go through, which shaped her into the person she is today.  And so it is, with a humble heart and lowly spirit, that I come here now to seek your help for this Princess and the family she has fought so hard for and deserves so much.  Please know that I am not asking for a HAND-OUT, but rather a HAND-UP, to a young family very much in need and burdened with heavy stress. This should be a time of great rejoicing for them as new parents.  Like the struggles they are facing at this very minute, we too have been heavy burdened with stress at one time or another, and we all know what it feels like to attempt to work alone through our struggles when it feels like the weight of the world is resting on our back.  WHERE THEY ARE NOW:  Both Gini and Michael have jobs.  They have just recently moved into a rental home so they would have more room for their growing family.  Since Gini has been hospitalized, she has depleted the sick leave she had built up at work and will not be receiving a paycheck until she is able to return, which is estimated to be in about 3 months.  Yet she is still responsible for paying her health insurance, which will increase at the birth of Colton since she will be adding him as a dependent.  Michael has only been able to visit with his wife and unborn son just this past weekend on his off day.  Rather than be at the hospital with his wife, he has had to stay behind and work so that they will not be completely without an income.  He has even obtained a 2nd job, which helps, but still is not enough to cover all of the bare minimum necessities.  He will be taking time off for the birth of their son, at which time there will be no money coming in at all until he returns to work.  This is going to leave them in a financial hardship, not only for the regular living expenses such as rent, utilities, groceries, gas, and insurance payments, but the added expenses of hospital co-pays, traveling to and from Montgomery to UAB, parking fees, lodging, food while there, plus whatever other expenses may arise.  This family is always there to lend a hand to others in need without ever asking for anything in return.  I have set up this campaign to reach out and ask for your help in taking a heavy burden off of this couple so that they can focus on the birth of their son and doing what it takes to get him healthy and home as soon as possible.  The goal amount is estimated to cover their expenses to get them through and hopefully keep them from falling behind for roughly the next 3 months while Gini and Colton receive the medical attention needed to be able to return home together and begin their happily ever after.   Our family thanks each of you for your love, concern, thoughts, donations, and prayers.  PLEASE KEEP THOSE PRAYERS COMING, because Matthew 18:20 tells us that "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them", and we pray everyone who reads this will be joined with us in prayer that the needs of this young family will be met.    We are hoping to fill this need as soon as possible, as Colton will most likely be delivered within the next few days.  I will do my best to keep updates going for those who would like to follow along on the progress. Please help us reach our goal more quickly by  sharing this campaign!  We pray that God richly blesses each and every one of you.