Support Baby Bear's Fight for Life

This is my great nephew. His name is Bear. He’s been in and out of surgeries since he was born nearly 5 months ago. I’m going to do my best with this write-up without bawling my eyes out, but just in case, the reading may be a little difficult.

His diagnosis: diaphragmatic hernia (his diaphragm didn't develop, his liver was up in the right side of his chest, and it was pushing his heart to the side. His liver was sitting on top of his right lung). Truncus arteriosus, where a valve that helps with blood flow through his body didn't develop, so he had to have two surgeries where they placed bands on his heart to help while he grew and then again to actually repair the valve. He was intubated since the moment my niece gave birth, and when they finally took his breathing tube out, BiPAP didn't work, so he had to get a tracheostomy. He now has tracheal bronchial malacia, which causes collapsing in his airway, and also has collapsing somewhere further down in his lungs. They may do a surgery where they can at least keep the top of his airway open by putting some kind of stent (I think that's what they called it) to keep that open. If that goes well, they will finally do his G-tube and belly button hernia surgery, and he also has club feet.

This is the message I received from my niece on Friday evening: So he coded again last Saturday. They kept him sedated all week and did a procedure to look in his airway Thursday to see how floppy things are. They found collapsing somewhere at the top of his airway and further down in his lungs, so that means his air pressure has to be super high to keep his airway open, which they have not seen before. If he codes again, there is a possibility that they won't be able to bring him back, or if it keeps happening. They are talking about doing a procedure that could keep the top part that keeps collapsing open. But for the deeper part in his lungs, he would have to wait until he gets bigger or see if he would even qualify for that. I think it depends on how his lungs develop. So no surgery for his hernia or G-tube until he stays stable enough. We will most likely be here through the holidays, but right now it could go good or really bad.

She’s been in Houston since day one for the last 5 months. She has not been able to come up until she almost lost her father about 2 months ago. This is baby Bear’s 3rd time that he has coded. This last one made it too real and scary for our family. It’s been a rough and hard year for our family. We need all the help we can get.

Baby’s father hasn’t been able to be down in Houston with them because he has to work to keep the bills paid. I’m asking that you help me give them the gift of time so that he can take the time needed off of work and still help with the bills. My prayer is for the family to be together so that it can help with baby Bear’s healing process, along with all the prayers we can get!

PLEASE GOD, HEAR OUR PRAYERS AND BRING BABY BEAR & CHLOE HOME HEALTHY & FULL OF LIFE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND DONATIONS & PRAYERS!