For those who may not know, Zach and I are expecting our third baby — our second little girl. During this pregnancy, we’ve faced several concerns that ultimately led to a diagnosis of placenta previa and placenta accreta. While previa is relatively common, accreta is rare and can be life-threatening for both mom and baby.

When we first received this diagnosis, we believed we understood the risks and the road ahead — including a complicated, planned delivery out of state in Salt Lake City. Since our family is currently based in montana my new obgyn approved travel to California to visit family and friends before welcoming our daughter in May.

While in California, I began experiencing some symptoms that concerned me. Out of caution, I went to Labor & Delivery in Roseville to get checked. Thankfully, baby and I are both doing well. However, the doctor there was extremely concerned that I had traveled with such a serious condition. We were told very clearly that I should not return to Montana under any circumstances before delivery due to the risk of sudden, severe, and unpredictable hemorrhaging. Montana does not have the specialized surgical team required to manage a case like mine in an emergency.

For the safety of both me and our baby, we have made the unexpected and very difficult decision to move back to California so I can be treated at UC Davis, where there are specialists experienced in managing placenta accreta. Baby girl will be delivered early, likely around 34–35 weeks. It is also very likely that I will undergo a hysterectomy at the time of delivery to prevent and control severe blood loss. We are preparing for a possible NICU stay for her, as well as ICU time and several days of hospitalization for me.

This is scary, overwhelming, and not at all how we envisioned this season of life.

We are incredibly grateful to have family here who are opening their home to us while we figure out next steps. At the moment, nearly everything we own — including our car — is still in Montana. We are now navigating an unexpected cross-country move, searching for permanent housing, and working out the logistics of relocating our belongings.

While we have savings, this sudden move and the medical expenses ahead will be a significant financial strain. We have created this GoFundMe to help offset the unexpected moving costs, including:

We are thankful to have decent medical insurance, but given the complexity of this condition, we anticipate substantial out-of-pocket medical bills. Any funds not used for moving expenses will go directly toward medical costs.

If you’d like to support us in other ways, here are a few meaningful options:

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting our family in any way — through prayer, sharing, donating, or simply encouraging us. We feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing community during such an uncertain time.