Mirra Strong

8 days ago Sasha and Devan welcomed their sweet baby girl, Mirra Rhain Elenberger born on Friday, June 9 at 8:52 p.m. at 11 lbs. 2 oz., 21 3/4" long and her story as a fighter started the minute she was born. Happy in the womb, passing all ultrasounds, and momma passing the gestational diabetes test, this little lady was absorbing too many sugars from food and her pancreas wasn't producing enough insulin. This caused the sugars to turn into a growth hormone unknowingly to the doctors.  These extra growth hormones caused the walls of her heart to be thicker than normal which makes it collapse on each beat, not allowing proper blood flow or oxygenation to the blood. Beginning at the Fargo Sanford NICU for raspy sounding lungs, irregular heart beat,  low blood sugar, and unstable vitals, they chemically paralyzed and sedated her so she would use the least amount of oxygen in her muscles, to save it all up for her vital organs, the heart and lungs.  The doctors moved her to an oscillator to help her oxygen levels, but because her heart was working way harder than it should have been, it doubled in size and caused strain on her lungs.   She was airlifted by plane then helicopter to Children's Minnesota with a medical team to preform an ECMO surgery procedure to place her on a heart/lung bypass machine so she can heal (hoping 5-10 days). She is light, noise,  and movement sensitive so this change in location was a stressful one for her little body, but she is now comfy in her calm, quiet and peaceful room.  She can only have limited visitors daily, but does love to hear whispers from mommy and daddy. Right now they are calling her condition pulmonary hypertension as an infant, but she is going through several tests - many taking time due to an earlier blood transfusion. The next steps are unclear and they are taking it step by step, day by day and she is listed as extremely critical but stable. They are very fortunate to be staying at the Ronald McDonald House, connected directly to Children's and are overwhelmed at the amount of resources and support available, but know that sometimes they have to rely on support at home to keep daily things moving, and especially care for Mirra's awesome big sister McKinley. Thank you in advance for your care, concerns, prayers and donations for them and their little fighter, Mirra.

So, friends and family are being asked to graciously donate to support Miss Mirra, Sasha, Devan and Mckinley in getting a head start on the mounting medical bills, lost work and being miles away from home in order to be with Mirra during her recovery.