Help my sister and brother-in-law

My name is Haley and this is my sisters story.

My twin sister Ashley was made to be a mother. She has always had a strong maternal instinct which made her a wonderful nanny to the many families she has helped and an even better Auntie to her nieces and nephews. When she married her husband Matt 4 years ago, they both knew they were ready to start a family of their own. Five months ago, they finally received the news they had been dreaming of... they were pregnant, they would be welcoming a precious baby boy of their own. That moment brought overwhelming joy to our entire family. A moment I desperately wish we could go back to.

Despite otherwise having a healthy pregnancy, we received sudden news last night that Ashley was in labor at only 24 weeks of pregnancy. The abrupt turn for the worse can only be described as a series of tragic events in such a short amount of time. Ashley was bleeding and losing a lot of blood; the doctors had no choice but to perform an emergency cesarean to get sweet baby Niko out. Both Ashley and Niko required intensive care. Later we received more news that one of Niko's lungs collapsed, the doctors immediately performed surgery to repair it. Unfortunately, the doctors ended up seeing air around his lungs and told my sister and brother-in-law that medically, there was nothing else they could do because his heart was failing with only 2 heartbeats in 1 minute. That was when they had to do the unbearable and let my sister and brother-in-law hold him for the first and the last time and baby Niko lost his life.

Ashley is still in intensive care and now has to feel the unbearable weight of mourning the loss of her baby while fighting for her own life. In addition, she had to get a blood transfusion and has an active infection that they are treating as sepsis.

It is every parent's worst fear to lose a child but an unimaginable reality now for Ashley and Matt. We do not know when they will be going home, but we do know they will have a long road ahead of them not only healing physically, but emotionally as well. Our hope is to help alleviate any financial burdens so they may have this time to mourn the loss of Niko. How do you plan a funeral for your baby? How do you resume working after this devastating loss? They need help and any contribution would be welcomed with the utmost gratitude.

Thank you for hearing our story. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. This was my sister's first pregnancy and she feels incredibly broken and lost but she is so strong. All the nurses call her the warrior. I love you, Ashley and Matt.