Mikalauskas Family Fund
On December 29th, Kim and Brian will be celebrating 17 years of being together. Like any long-term relationship, they have faced challenges, have had good times and bad times, have laughed and cried, and have been blessed in many ways. Unfortunately, these last few years have been extremely difficult for Kim and Brian.
In 2015, Kim and Brian were ready to start a family, and unfortunately things didn't work out the way they had hoped, and they had to turn to fertility treatments. After A LOT of testing, medications, surgery and procedures, and 6 failed IUIs, their only chance at starting a family (a dream for both of them, but definitely a dream since Kim's childhood) was IVF. Not only does infertility take a huge emotional toll, but also a huge financial toll even with good insurance coverage. After 3 years, Kim and Brian, along with their family and friends were
over the moon to learn they were going to be parents! Kim had a healthy pregnancy and ultrasounds showed a healthy baby boy. Little Matthew decided he would arrive 23 days early, and boy did he create a lot of excitement and chaos for all of us! While it appeared Matt was a healthy baby, Kim and Brian found out at 11 days old Matt had been born with a heart defect. Matt was diagnosed with aortic stenosis and mitral valve regurgitation, which was causing the left side of the heart to enlarge. He was transferred from Edward Hospital to Lurie Children's Hospital and underwent his 1st cardiac catheterization (similar to adult angioplasty) at 13 days old. The doctors told Kim and Brian Matthew would most likely be in the hospital for 2 weeks, probably on medication throughout infancy, and would be smaller in size as an infant, but eventually catch up to his peers. Matt is a fighter and he defied the odds - he was out of the hospital 4 days after his catheterization and was never on any meds for his heart. At 7 months old, Matt had to have another cardiac catheterization which required an overnight stay in the hospital, and the surgeon informed Kim and Brian that Matt would most likely need open heart surgery at some point; it truly just depends on what his aorta does as he grows. In addition, he had to have a few other procedures/surgeries not cardiac related. In October, he had his 2-yr wellness check , and he weighed in at 29 pounds & 35 inches tall- his pediatrician thinks he will be around 6 feet tall! While Matthew has a had a rough start, you can see he is thriving & doing well, & is so full of personality. Unfortunately, his heart will never be fixed. There are only band-aid solutions for heart defects. He requires regular monitoring by his cardiologist, which often times includes echo's to make sure his heart is functioning well & the stenosis is not worsening.
Earlier this year Kim and Brian wanted to give Matt a sibling. They were shocked and overwhelmed with nerves and excitement when they learned they would be adding identical twins to their little family! A twin pregnancy is risky, but when it is identical twins the risk is even greater to mom and babies. Because of this Kim had frequent appointments with her OB, and in addition, needed to follow closely with Maternal Fetal Medicine. Isabelle and Grace decided they wanted to not only follow in their brothers footsteps, but to make sure they out did him with their depute. Kim was admitted to Labor and delivery at 30 weeks . Well, at 31 weeks on August 3rd , those little girls decided they weren't waiting anymore & Isabelle & Grace came into the world. Isabelle spent 74 days in the NICU, while Grace spent 50 days. All Preemies have reflux to some degree. Due to their reflux and prematurity the girls are on a combination of Breast milk & 3 different types of formula which you can imagine, it can get quite costly.
Exactly one week after delivering the girls, Kim was readmitted to Labor & Delivery for post partum preeclampsia, where she spent another 3 days in the hospital, & 6 weeks on blood pressure medication. It took a little while, but thankfully her blood pressure returned to normal.
Along with the kids, they found out that their dog Lilly's Kidney Values have worsened. For those of you know that know Kim & Brian- their dogs mean just as much to them as their kids. Lillys Kidney issues requires her to be on special prescription food which brings in another added expense to the mix!
Brian's Company has faced great financial strain. It seems to cycle but this year has been worse than ever. There have been times insurance was not paid by his company & employees have been asked to delay cashing their paychecks past payday.
Earlier this year Kim had found a part time job, and along came COVID & the Lockdown. She has not worked since March. Kim is currently working on getting back into the Nursing Field. While she was pregnant with Matt she was finishing up her Bachelors Degree. She pushed through the program all while taking care of a "sick "baby & even finished up some last assignments while at Luries taking care of Matt. She has been job hunting as much as she can but her lack of experience is eliminating her from many nursing jobs.
Kim & Brian are the type of people who put other first, rarely ask for help, & do what they can to help others out. They are always there for their family & friends. Along with that, they do what they can to help the world around them. A few examples of things they have done to help out are making meals for families at Luries & Ronald Mcdonalds & fostering dogs through Hopeful Tails & Midwest Lab Rescue.
As Mentioned Earlier, these last few years have been especially tough emotionally and financially for them. This year alone medical bills have totaled close to $27,000.00 With only one income , student loans, formula, diapers, and everyday life essentials (bills, car maintentance, etc.) they are really feeling the financial strain. They are also in need of a larger vehicle but cannot afford to save up for one at this time. Any money raised will go towards covering medical costs, and anything left over will go towards kids essentials such as diapers, wipes, formula & future copays for doctors visits.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Kim & Brian's story. I know times are tough for everyone right now, but if you can help out in anyway it would be greatly appreciated. If you are unable to contribute at this time , please keep them in their prayers & consider sharing their story.
Thank you so much & God bless you always.