Hi, my name is Amy Hammack and I am fundraising for my little baby's medical needs and a few of our needs during his NICU stay. We are now a family of five, including my husband Maxwell, 3 1/2-year-old son Amaro, one-year-old son Oliver and newborn Atreus or "Baby Trey".
On Sunday, April 24, when I was only 23 weeks pregnant, my water broke. This happens sometimes without the mother going into early labor, but it is still very risky for the baby. My only choice was to be sent to UF Health in Jacksonville, which is equipped to handle the care I might need as well as a potential NICU stay for a very premature baby. The plan was for me to stay in the hospital until Was 34 weeks pregnant or more (July or later), but baby Atreus decided to make his debut on Sunday, May 1 at 6:44 am. He was only 24 weeks gestation, a whopping 1 lb, 5 oz, and unable to even utter a cry because his little lungs were not fully developed. He was rushed to the NICU and intubated.
Since day 1, he has been fairly stable but he has a very, very long journey.
The NICU doctors told me to expect him not to be ready to go home until his original due date of August 21, give or take a few days. UF Health Jacksonville is 40 miles from our home. Since May 3, when I was released, I have made the 80 mile round trip every day to see baby Trey, so that he knows his mommy and I can soak up any small opportunities to touch and bond with him.
We will not only have mine and the baby's hospital bills to face soon, We have other related expenses. Gas is currently about $4.50 per gallon with forecasts of the price rising even more. It costs me about $80 a week to drive there and back. Some days, Maxwell likes to come with me. This is only possible if we have childcare for Amaro and Oliver, as little children are not allowed in the NICU. We may also need a few supplies for Atreus that we didn't need for our other two boys, such as special oxygen monitors. This GoFundMe will cover these needs.
Thank you in advance to everyone who can help us, and God Bless!