The Adventures Of Emmett B.

Born under a pound, this feisty 22-week-old preemie has shown he can beat the odds . Read his story, watch as he grows, help cheer him on, and consider sharing his story.

The starting line

Our little dude embarked on his journey to us over three years ago. After trying to conceive naturally, we had to rely on science to reach the finish line. It was a challenging time for Mom, filled with uncertainty, doubts, and emotions stretched to their limits. The odds of getting pregnant were low, but somehow, it worked. This is the essence of Emmett’s story.

IVF

We started the IVF process with the help of a fertility benefit from Walmart, Tricia’s employer. They partnered with Kindbody in Dallas, who did our genetic testing as well as the creation of our embryos.

Upon further testing with the help of Dr. Reed at Peak Fertility in Plano, we learned that Tricia required additional treatments in order to have a chance at becoming pregnant. This was due to Tricia having a thin uterine lining.

Dr. Reed at Peak connected us with Dr. Salazar in Austin for a clinical trial treatment after a procedure to treat Asherman syndrome which caused scar tissue. They believed this may have been the reason for Tricia’s thin lining.

Tricia’s treatment was successful and we decided to move forward as soon as we got close to the desired thickness of her lining. The embryo transfer was successful, and we were finally pregnant.

The Pregnancy

Things were normal until they weren’t. Little Emmett B. made his unexpected arrival at 22 weeks and 6 days, right at the edge of viability. He weighed less than a pound and had very low chances of survival. Due to his premature birth, many parts of his body weren’t fully developed. He had a hole in his heart that affected oxygen flow, which was successfully closed just this week. He also had severe lung disease, immature vision development, and other complications that were discovered along the way.

The NICU Life

Emmett spent five months in the NICU, and those months were some of the most difficult of our lives. Our days turned into long drives to Dallas after work. Every night, by his bedside, we couldn’t hold him immediately but tried to stay present, engaged, and supportive as best as we could. There were many tears. In the NICU, you celebrate every small win while witnessing the joy and loss of other families right next to you. It profoundly changes you.

Life-saving care, tummy surgeries, and critical interventions were performed to save his life right in Dad’s arms. We honestly didn’t know if he’d ever come home. We quickly learned that stable days were good days.

The Prison Break and our current chapter

Five months later, Emmett was finally cleared to come home. He requires an oxygen tank, monitors that go beep beep boop, and a crummy feeding tube due to his inability to regulate his breathing. He loves the bottle but is not quite ready for it. It’s a work in progress. “I’m doing something!” He needs round-the-clock care. Since being home, we’ve almost lost him five times in a single month—he pulls his oxygen line, clamps down, and holds his breath, often leading to a spiral of progressively shallow breathing, sudden unresponsiveness, and sometimes he randomly completely stops breathing. Now imagine not having medical professionals at home… we don’t.

Nursing needs

His doctors recommended round-the-clock home care. 24/7. However, the government shutdown has left us without the support that he needs. Mom and Dad are currently filling the roles of 24-hour nurse, EMS, and doctor while juggling full-time jobs literally at the same time. Baby to the left, computer to the right. We hope to get relief as soon as they open back up. Mileage may vary.

The bill

Insurance has covered a significant amount—more than we will ever make in a lifetime—and we are incredibly grateful. Both of our employers have been incredibly supportive beyond our expectations. Despite all this, there are still substantial gaps and ongoing costs that fall on us, and it exceeds the financial capacity of our family.

It’s hard to ask for help

We went back and forth for a long time before deciding to set up this page. We are just a normal family on a budget. Sometimes we get ahead, sometimes we get behind. Right now, we’re just trying to stay even. We’re doing our best to provide Emmett with the care he needs while being mindful that we only have so much set aside to float us if another unexpected thing pops up.

What’s the ask? ‍

If you’re still here, thank you. At the end of the day, this site is mainly meant to help with expenses, funds. It’s in the name. How you can help: please know that whatever feels right to you is meaningful—words of support, sharing our story, or donating if you’re able to. We anticipate meeting our deductible again by January, and any funds raised will help us bridge the gap. Whatever remains unpaid, we will find a way to manage it ourselves. Our out of pocket max is 13k. That’s what we have to pay before insurance offsets the main costs. It’s hard to say, oh X amount is what we need. Honestly, anything helps. We’re setting a goal under that number.

Emmett already has a large number of fans cheering for him. One day, we hope to share with him how much love has helped our family overcome a rough start to such a precious life. His life. That’s it, that’s our long-winded pitch.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for caring about our little one. With sincere gratitude from our family, we thank you.