Hi, my name is Kara Stokes. I am Enzo’s God mother and I am here to help raise funds in support of he and his mother Lauren Nelson-Coward. If you know Lauren you know she is not the type to ask for help. I have to constantly remind her to let me know if she needs anything. While she may be super woman the truth is we could all use a little help especially during such an emotionally taxing time like this. 

Lauren is an amazing mother to two boys, both miracle premies. During her second pregnancy with Enzo, she experienced pre-eclampsia which resulted in her being on bed rest in the hospital. After being on bed rest for 3 weeks, Lauren went into labor and Enzo was born at 25 weeks on June 19, 2021. He weighed 1lb 6.9oz at birth, making him a micro-premie.  He had Inter-Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) which means he grew smaller than his actual gestational age. So, although he was born at almost 26 weeks, he was the size of a 23 weeker. As a result, he has and still is experiencing a number of serious health complications. 

Enzo, small but mighty, has had multiple brain surgeries, has been on oxygen since birth and fights to live every day. Recently, he was fitted for a custom tracheostomy fit just for him and have been hitting important milestones that shows he's consistently progressing. He has had to overcome multiple issues, some that will have life-long effects. This includes:




Chronic Lung Disease
Hydrocephalus
Pulmonary hypertension 
Multiple life-threatening Staph Infections 
Multiple blood transfusions
Brain Bleeds
 


Our Enzo is a true fighter with a strong mama to see him through the tough times. He'll be coming home soon, as he recently graduated from the NICU to the TICU. Please help him continue the fight by donating to help cover medical expenses, physical and occupational therapy etc to assist his devoted mother financially. She will have to take time off from work to care for Enzo. She is also receiving training to learn how to care for him. He will still have a feeding tube line going directly to his stomach, a trach for him to be able to breathe and a shunt in his brain.



Lauren is working full time as a Patient Care Coordinator and currently her job does not include paid time off or maternity leave, so it will be difficult to support her family with the absence of her income. We know that the pandemic and inflation has made it difficult for everyone during these times. We thank you for any shares or contributions that are made and we will keep the updates on Enzo progress coming! We truly appreciate your generosity.