Support Waylon and Demi's Journey to Stability

Hello everybody, my name is Robert Lang and this little fella is Waylon Settler Lang.

To fully understand Waylon's situation, one would need to hear his backstory.

My wife and I separated back in 2021, and since then, we have shared custody of my now 4-year-old daughter. I have a pretty sweet arrangement where I get my daughter every other week and every weekend, so I really wasn't pushing the divorce. I found out at the end of August that my wife was pregnant with her boyfriend's child and that she was due at the end of October or beginning of November.

This is where it starts to get a little weird, and things take a turn for the worst. My wife went into early labor on October 3rd, and Waylon was born into the world. He passed away due to asphyxiation, but God was not through with him. They resuscitated Waylon, and he was put directly into the NICU. My wife got discharged from the hospital on October 5th, and she never went back to see him. She asked me to keep my daughter for a while while she prepared his new home.

Fast forward 2 weeks later, on October 18th, I got a phone call from Georgia DFCS telling me that my daughter and the baby both had CPOs put in place to protect them against my wife.

It turns out that my wife was addicted to fentanyl throughout her whole pregnancy, and so was Waylon. The caseworker told me that she could count on one hand how many times she had seen a baby have to be administered fentanyl after birth to survive. She stated that since my wife and I are still legally married, Waylon was by law my child and that he had been by himself for 2 weeks. The state was on the verge of taking all of my wife's children, including my daughter, from me unless I could show that I could provide Waylon and my daughter a stable home.

Keep in mind that up to this point on October 18th, I had no idea of the situation at hand or how serious it had gotten. I didn't know what to think. Most people have at least 7 months to prepare for a child, and there I was, 2 minutes away from the hospital where he was abandoned. I asked the caseworker if I was able to go sit with him so that he wasn't by himself, and she strongly encouraged it.

Waylon Settler Lang was born on October 3rd, 6 and 1/2 weeks premature, weighing four pounds 6 oz. He died during birth, and as soon as he was resuscitated, he was thrown into an incubator, addicted to fentanyl, with muscle tone all but non-existent due to inactivity in the womb from being sedated the entire time he was there, ALONE. FOR 2 AND 1/2 WEEKS THAT BABY WAS ALONE. He didn't even know the touch of his mother or father. All the other babies in the NICU had little quilts or stuffed animals, and he was in the back wrapped in the same swaddle they give you at birth with nothing. As soon as I saw him, I fell in love with him. On October 18th, Waylon finally got to meet his daddy, and I swear they will never have to fight alone ever again. He will never be alone ever again. And he is very much wanted and loved. And he's a warrior for beating what most adults never will, much less on their own.

Today is November 5th, and Waylon is almost up to 8 lbs, and he is a happy baby. He loves his sister and my mother, who has been a blessing throughout all this.

It has been a really hard adjustment for me personally. But I am a firm believer that it is much more important to lead a significant life rather than a successful one. I've always prided myself on being a dad, and I will do anything for my kids. And I make this GoFundMe reluctantly because I pride myself on being able to be the superhero my daughter thinks that I am. However, daddy is tired, and although I may seem stoic and steadfast, I feel lost and defeated. I need help. I've been strong for so long, and I can't do it by myself anymore, but I have to remain strong because I know my daughter is watching my every move. She already wonders what she did to make her mama not want to talk to her. On top of that, now I have a son that I have to teach to be a man. When he was born, he didn't have Medicaid. So I'm stuck with a bunch of hospital bills and medicines that he has to take for his conditions. If anyone can donate to help Waylon, Demi, and myself, I would be forever grateful, and we all three humbly thank you from the bottom of our hearts.