Support Loretta's Fight for Life

In June 2023, Christian and McKenna were blessed to find out they were expecting twins, but not just ordinary twins, Mo/mo twins, a very high risk pregnancy. This means there is only one placenta and one amniotic sac shared between both babies. Since then it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. There were times when the doctors did not think the twins would survive. McKenna had weekly doctor appointments with a University of Michigan high-risk OB/GYN in Marquette, along with weekly ultrasounds.

On November 6, 2023, at about 24 weeks, McKenna was admitted to U of M to monitor her and the babies 24/7- three fetal non-stress tests per day and continued weekly ultrasounds. McKenna had to stay in the hospital for the next two months. Doctors were ready to take the twins at any time if their conditions deteriorated so Christian was unable to work much because he wanted to be with McKenna if something were to happen. The twins' heartbeats and placental function indicated a need to do an emergency C-section on December 28.

At 31 weeks, Alanna and Loretta were born! What beautiful gifts from our Lord! Loretta has many health issues, some of which were discovered during McKenna's pregnancy, others afterward. She has a thoracic meningocele with a tethered spinal cord, vertebral anomalies, missing ribs and chest wall on her left side, one kidney, lumbar hernias, and tracheomalacia, a weakening of her trachea causing respiratory problems. Also, she overcame NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis, a very serious disease.

In late January, she and Alanna were flown to UPHS Marquette in hopes of soon getting to go home to Chatham. The plan was for Loretta to go home on oxygen and tube feedings. Alanna was discharged after one week. Sadly, Loretta started having "episodes" of oxygen desaturation (desats) as low as oxygen saturations of 10% and drastic drops in her heart rate. She would get so bad that she would turn blue, and they would have to ambu bag her in order to revive her. These episodes increased in frequency, and she was flown back to U of M for further testing on February 24, McKenna's actual due date.

Various tests and two different types of bronchoscopies with a respiratory CT were done within the next month. It was shown that she had tracheomalacia due to blood vessels from her heart compressing her trachea, and on March 27, an aortopexy was performed. Doctors said the surgery went well, and they were confident this would help her breathing problems. Loretta was supposed to be extubated the day of the aortopexy. We were so grateful and elated, but then the

"rollercoaster" descended once again. The day after surgery Loretta was in very critical condition! They put her on a stronger vent, did multiple tests, started potent antibiotics, and transferred her to the pediatric cardiothoracic unit.

Her poor little body was retaining fluids so badly that she was puffed up like a balloon. To prevent her from coding, the nurses had to give her drugs to paralyze her and extra sedation just to turn her head from one side to the other or change her position. On Easter Sunday, doctors discovered fluid around her heart and placed a pericardial drain. Two days later, she was diagnosed with chylopericardium, lymph fluid in the sac around her heart. They stopped her NG formula feeds and hoped this would heal or slow the lymph leak; however, it did not. Loretta ended up being on the ventilator for 16 days after her surgery because she was in such critical condition.

Seventeen days after surgery, on April 12, she was extubated, but still needed a lot of respiratory support. Doctors tried to put her on a bi-pap nasal cannula with positive pressure airflow. She tolerated it for one day, and then they had to put on a full face mask, which provided stronger support. After only four days of being extubated, they had to reintubate her because her lung collapsed. Currently, she is on a ventilator with a lung and blood bacterial infection and back on potent antibiotics. She will have a MR lymphangiogram to find where the lymph is leaking. Then she will need a procedure to fix the leak. This could mean a surgery to reverse the aortopexy, fix the leak around her heart, and then redo the aortopexy. She may have to be transferred to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where they specialize in this lymphatic condition.

Loretta will continue to need highly specialized medical care due to her rare, multiple medical problems... She is a strong, little warrior! We thank Christ Jesus every day that Loretta perseveres!

It's been six months and counting of emotional and financial struggles, and physical suffering for Loretta. Her family, Christian, McKenna, Galadriel, her 17 month old sister, and Alanna, her twin, are there by her side as she fights these battles. Christian has tried to go back to work off and on since November, just to get a call that Loretta is going downhill, again.

Christian and McKenna do not want to burden others and have not wanted us to start a GoFundMe. But at this point, they need help. Many people have asked how they can help; so here's a way.

Please help little Loretta and her family with prayer and financial assistance for medical and living expenses.

God bless all of you who can help them fight this battle for beautiful Loretta!