Hello friends! As most of you may know, my name is Randi and I have decided to set up a GoFundMe to help support my sister Laura and her boyfriend Bret with all the expenses associated with their sweet baby Zoey being in the hospital.

On Thursday, April 27th, Laura woke up to some concerning bleeding and decided to go to the hospital. At this time Laura was only 26 weeks pregnant with a very healthy baby girl, Zoey. The doctors decided to immediately transfer Laura to the Foothills Medical Center in Calgary. Upon arrival to the hospital, the doctors confirmed that Laura was in preterm labour, however could not determine the cause, so at that time it was just a waiting game, praying baby Zoey did not decide to make her appearance.

On April 30th, 2023 baby Zoey was born at 26 weeks and 6 days only weighing 2 lbs and 2 oz. Zoey is doing extremely well, however the NICU at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge does not admit babies that are under 32 weeks. That means Laura and Bret will have to relocate to Calgary for the next month and some. As you can imagine, this has been a very stressful and emotional situation for everyone involved, but especially for Laura and Bret.

I am asking everyone to donate to help Laura and Bret with the expenses of travel, food, lost wages, and temporarily relocating to Calgary. Laura will be staying in Calgary full-time with her daughter, Arielle, however Bret will be traveling back and forth as much as possible since he is employed in Lethbridge. My mom will also be staying in Calgary full time to help with child care for Arielle as Laura will also be spending a lot of her time at the hospital and unfortunately children are not permitted in the NICU.

Absolutely anything helps during this very difficult time. We are so appreciative and thankful for everyone’s support. And please send your love and prayers to Laura and Bret. Zoey is strong and a fighter, but there’s still a long road ahead.

*UPDATE - Zoey has a potential congenital heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). This is when there is an opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart. The doctors are prescribing a medication for Zoey that will hopefully close the opening. So please pray for Laura, Bret, and Baby Zoey.

Other than that, the nurses and doctors are extremely proud of Zoey’s progress! Thank you everyone so much for your donations. You have absolutely no idea how much it means to us.