Sophia & Paityn Lightner Support x2

Kendra & Tyler Lightner gave birth to twin girls on 08/04/2015; well actually, Kendra did all birthing.

Sophia & Paityn Lightner were born 6 weeks premature; they weighed 3.6 & 4.3 lbs respectively. Immediately following their birth, they were placed in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at Community Hospital in Missoula. They will need to stay in the NICU for up to several weeks to allow them to grow, gain weight and do all the “baby stuff” that newborns usually do.

 

Please help us support Kendra and Tyler through this equally stressful and joyous time. Kendra and Tyler are wonderful new parents who have been through so much to get to this point in their lives. As new parents who are just beginning their lives together as a family, their finances have been a point of strain for them given the difficult road that has led up to the birth of the twins and the cost of caring for premature twins. A few reasons why Kendra and Tyler really need our support:

-The twins are premature and thus will be in the NICU for weeks. The NICU is in Missoula as Helena does not have a NICU; Missoula is 112 miles from Helena; requiring lodging expenses, extra food expenses, inability to work, travel expenses and all the extra costs of having to live for weeks in a place 112 miles from home.

-Kendra was placed on bed rest about 4-5 weeks before she delivered due to preeclampsia concerns. -Kendra’s blood pressure risk increased and a week before delivery she was admitted to the hospital here in Helena and required to stay inpatient until she delivered.

-Kendra’s water broke early, requiring life flight to Missoula to deliver as Helena does not have NICU.

The pregnancy was high risk for two reasons, they are twins and Kendra developed high blood pressure, so there was concern for preeclampsia which is a life threatening issue if not medically attended to and watched closely.

-Kendra is an RN and she and Tyler had just graduated from nursing school in December, 2014 and Kendra began her nursing career in January, 2015. Therefore she does not have sick or comp time built up and her time on bed rest and time to care for babies is unpaid. Tyler also does not have paid time.

- To heighten the financial toll this is taking, Kendra and Tyler will have enormous medical bills, even after insurance (medical bills will far surpass normal pregnancy/delivery costs per the many ER visits during pregnancy, bed rest, inpatient bed rest, extra tests/exams/labs/scans/ appointments etc. that high risk pregnancies need, medically flown to Missoula, high risk birthing expenses as birth had to be in operating room, NICU expenses for TWO babies).

-Loss of wages, living expenses while away from home, coupled with enormous medical bills will be a heavy burden on this young new family; additionally, they have the most awful type of burden to bear…… worrying about their little baby girls.

 

Kendra and Tyler are young, newly married, newly out of college and new homeowners. Kendra is just beginning her career as a Registered Nurse. Tyler is working hard to also be a registered nurse and meanwhile is working hard as a server at Chili’s, picking up every extra shift he can then coming home and readying the home and nursery for his daughters.  

Kendra and Tyler need the peace of mind that financial support brings, so that they may concentrate on bonding as a new family, all four of them together as a family should be. Our family is our greatest asset and for these premature babies to thrive they need daily contact with their parents; babies absolutely flourish when they have the consistent loving presence of their parents, as preemies, this is even more vital to their well-being and health. In order to thrive, Sophia and Paityn need to feel, hear, smell and see their parents daily. Kendra and Tyler want nothing more than to be able to be with their babies every minute of every day, please help us support these babies by giving them what they need most…their parents, unhindered.  This is a wonderful family; Kendra and Tyler are wonderful, strong, loving and kind people, newly beginning their lives together. They have both worked so hard to realize their dreams.