Willow Dean was born on 10/25/25 via emergency C-section after presenting with decreased fetal movement and fetal distress. When Willow was born, she couldn't breathe on her own due to an infection called listeria. Listeria is very rare but very severe as well. There are only 3-6 out of 100,000 cases. Many babies with listeria often face severe challenges, like neurological disorders and possible brain damage. Willow’s care was transferred to Peace Health where a team of specialists could help her. Willow has a very long journey ahead of her and will remain in the hospital for the coming weeks.

The moment I was discharged, we dropped everything to be by Willow's side. During this difficult time, in order to focus on Willow and her care. My husband had to step away from work without pay. To help with fuel for the long drives, expenses and medical bills we made a difficult decision to ask for help so that we may give our full attention to our sweet girl at this time.