Hello, we are the Gregory's. My husband Brandon and I have 3 children: a six-year-old named Naomi, and a three-year-old named N'aila who passed away at the age of 10 months unexpectedly in 2021. My husband and I planned not to have any more children. Our oldest said she wanted another sibling because she wanted someone to play with and to call her sissy because all of her friends had siblings. She then began to pray to God and beg Him for another one. My husband and I were done! One day, randomly, I took a test and it was positive. We began to be excited, but not more excited than Naomi; she was happy God answered her prayer. My pregnancy was perfect, no issues. I went in to have my planned C-section, and they got Naleigh out, but we didn't hear her cry. She was crying, but there was no sound at all. They rushed her to NICU, then came to tell me while going to step down that she would have to be airlifted to Le Bonheur; something was going on with her heart! Scariest moment of our life. All we could think was we lost one already and didn't want to face that again! So we told them to get her where she needed to be.

Here is Naleigh Ayani Gregory's story!

On December 28th, my mommy had a doctor's appointment. She was in the shower getting ready, and Doctor Bautista called and said, DON'T EAT or DRINK anything!! Mommy knew then she would have me that day! She went to her appointment, and afterwards, her doctor said I would be here by C-section that afternoon! And sent mommy to the hospital to be admitted! My mommy was rolled to the operating room, my daddy was behind. With many prayers, mommy got in there, and they got started. They then yelled out about 1:16 pm, I was here! They asked my daddy if he wanted to see me being pulled out; he said no, lol, I think he got a little weak! As they got me out, my mommy and daddy were waiting for that loud cry, but I had NO SOUND! The nurses told my parents I was fine, but I needed to be checked out by the pediatrician, so they let mommy get a kiss and took me away! Mommy was being put back together to go to the recovery room, and after about 10 mins of being there, Doctor Scott came in and said I was fixing to be flown to Le Bonheur because something was going on with my heart! My mommy couldn't talk because she was coming off anesthesia, but she was nervous and scared! So my daddy began to ask questions, and the doctor stated we've got to get her there to be seen by the cardiologist team! Shortly after, about 30 mins, the doctor came back and said the helicopter ran into ice, and they had to go back and then come by ambulance to get me! My mommy asked if she could see me before leaving, and they said of course! Although I was intubated, she got to see me before I left. As I was getting ready to leave the hospital, I set the alarms off; I made the people think I was being stolen, lol! My daddy and TT Tianna were supposed to follow me behind the ambulance, but somehow they beat us to Le Bonheur! My mommy had to stay behind because she had major surgery, but their doctor released her the next day to come be with me! The team at Le Bonheur ran tests and said that I have Pulmonary Atresia, which means I have a vessel that goes to my lungs that's really narrow, which wasn't causing me to get much blood to my lungs for me to cry loudly or have sound. My oxygen was 85%, but a normal baby is 93%. They told my mommy and daddy I would have to have surgery to put a shunt in! My dad's question was, will this fix the issue, and will this be my only surgery? The doctor said there are stages to this, and I would have one now and then one more later, but my mommy and daddy started praying and saying that I would be healed! On January 9, I went for open-heart surgery. I did great, but that was the longest 3 hours of my parents' life!! My mommy had to be patient, and if you know my mommy, that was an issue because she couldn't be in control! But oh, I made it out alright!! About day 2 after surgery, I started trying to take some tubes out of my throat, and out came sound like never before. My daddy said, oh, there's sound!! I've been one strong baby girl; I get it from my mommy and daddy! They did a genetics test and say that I have DiGeorge Syndrome, but they found it so hard to say that's what I have because I don't look like it, nor do I have any features of it besides my heart defect, but that's okay. I'm a 22qtie for a reason, and I'm going to continue to thrive above the charts! I've made so much progress over time and am going to continue to make them! Sunday, January 28th, made a whole month that I've been in Le Bonheur Children's Hospital! I am now getting ready for my next open-heart surgery, which may be in California, hours and hours away. So I can go on to live a happy life. My journey isn't mine, but it's to be a light to someone's family out there, and my testimony will help them through to let them know that God saw me through, and He can do it for them too! I don't look like what they say I have; the Glory of God is favoring my life and will continue! I may have my feeding tube for now, but soon it will be gone too (It's gone now!!!), because my strength will continue to increase in order for me to take my full bottle.

The Bible says in Romans 8:11, But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Sincerely, The Journey Of

Naleigh Ayani Gregory