Standing Strong for a Large Family During a NICU Journey:

Hello, let me start by saying this is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write.

We don’t have a village, extended family support, or any backup that has the means to supply the type of help we so dearly need during this time — we truly only have each other when all is said and done. And at this moment, that just isn’t enough to carry what we’re facing alone.

On December 8th, 2025 at 2:22 PM, our daughter Mya Louise Eleanor McUmber was born 16 weeks early at just 24 weeks gestation. She weighed 1 lb 4 oz and measured 12 inches long. She is tiny, fragile, and fighting for her life in the NICU. Mya is currently intubated and undergoing testing for a possible brain bleed. Every hour feels like a lifetime as we wait, hope, and pray.

Before Mya’s birth, I was hospitalized for days with contractions and heavy bleeding. What followed was terrifying — I experienced a massive hemorrhage that required an emergency blood transfusion. There were moments I was genuinely afraid I wouldn’t survive and that my children would lose their mother. I am still recovering physically and emotionally, while trying to be strong for my family.

At home, we have five young children who need us:

• Kaden (5)

• Athena (4)

• Oliver “Ollie” (2.5)

• Theo (1.5)

• Parker (9 months)

Because I’m hospitalized and now recovering, Josh has no choice but to stay home with the kids, which means we currently have no income at all. I had to stop working as a nurse due to pregnancy complications, and Josh owns his own contracting business — if he’s not working, there is no paycheck.

Bills are piling up quickly: utilities, food, gas, medical expenses, and daily necessities for six children, not even to mention the fact that Christmas is a mere matter of days away. When I’m discharged, we face an impossible choice:

• Go home and be unable to see our NICU baby, or

• Stay at the Ronald McDonald House and be separated from our other children

Either option means continued loss of income and growing financial strain.

We never imagined asking for help like this, but we are at a breaking point. The stress is overwhelming, and right now we need support to keep our family afloat while our daughter fights for her life.

Your donation will help with:

• Basic living expenses while we have no income

• NICU-related travel and costs

• Food, gas, and necessities for our children

• Allowing us to focus on healing and being present for our kids

If you’re able to give, share, or keep our family in your prayers, it means more than we can put into words. From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for helping us stand strong during the hardest chapter of our lives.

With gratitude,

The McUmbers