Support Baby Hayden's NICU Journey

Our sweet Hayden Nora Lode made her early arrival on July 3rd via emergency C-section. Weighing 7.6 pounds and measuring 20 inches long, she is absolutely perfect — but has faced unexpected challenges with her breathing.

Shortly after birth, it became clear that Hayden needed specialized care. After initial efforts, doctors made the difficult decision to life flight her to the NICU in Sioux Falls for more advanced respiratory support. She has been on oxygen since her transfer and, while she is slowly getting stronger, her stay in the NICU is expected to be a long one.

As you can imagine, this has been an incredibly emotional and overwhelming time for my brother and sister-in-law, Bubba and Kenz. In addition to the stress of caring for their newborn in the NICU, they are also facing mounting medical bills and the ongoing cost of traveling back and forth from Sioux Falls.

We’ve created this GoFundMe to help ease some of that financial burden. Any amount, no matter how small, would mean the world to our family. If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page and keeping baby Hayden in your prayers.

Thank you so much for your support and love during this time.