Support the Tomanka Family's NICU Journey

Hi everyone,

I am creating this to ask for support for the Tomanka family as they continue to fight through their NICU stay.

On March 6, 2025, Kate was readmitted after a previous hospital stay for vascular pregnancy complications. She had noticed she was having a second instance of contractions that were looking to be active labor. Through the admission and monitoring process, she began having various complications and profound migraines which concluded in a diagnosis of preeclampsia with severe effects. Her protein urine level was .75 with a preferred range being only .20.

Kate was quickly transferred to Iowa City Hospital. After 5 days of sitting in the hospital receiving various attempts to alleviate the preeclampsia and keep baby in a little longer, they found she was progressing on her own and it was no longer safe to carry out the pregnancy through their goal of 37 weeks.

On March 11, Kate was induced at 32 weeks welcoming their baby boy Liam. Due to safety and hospital restrictions, the last 4 weeks have been spent with their family split as their two kiddos have had to be at home, who spent the first half with family, and Jake has been split between Iowa City and Waverly for the last couple of weeks. Jake headed back after two weeks to get back to work as much as possible, and Kate was out of work two months earlier than expected.

Liam is now 36 weeks and still in the NICU with a road ahead before discharge. This last week they found a heart murmur and it is undetermined if it is developmental or structural at this time. He continues to be monitored daily as he continues to have "spells" which is his heart rate and oxygen dropping with the need of stimulation to bring them back up together. He has been able to learn to eat as mom has stayed around the clock to care for him but medically he has regressed as his spells had subsided for some time before returning this last week. In the last 3 days, after thinking they were close to discharge and things had been looking up, Liam has had 7 spells that will leave the path ahead undetermined as far as length of stay.

I am asking the community, strangers, and friends to come together to alleviate the financial burdens to allow them to focus on Liam's health and their family as a unit. Due to the undetermined length of stay and road ahead, as well as the last four weeks already spent almost two hours from home--the goal of this outreach is to alleviate costs while in Iowa City, transportation as the back and forth trips add up, medical and other bills that need to be maintained, and any gaps in between. Any amount helps and most of all please pray for continued growth and strength for Liam, as well as Kate and Jake. We will continue to provide updates as much as possible.

For those asking to send flowers and cards to their room, they are in the Stead Family Children's Hospital in room 628. This is a restricted and locked unit, so please don't try to enter to visit at this time.

Thank you in advance, and god bless!