Hello, my name is Jessica and Rachael is my best friend. On August 14th, she welcomed her first beautiful baby boy into the world named Xander Alan. Rachael had an extremely difficult birthing process that ended up with her having an infection that led to an emergency c section and Xander not being able to regulate his own blood sugar. Fast forward several days, they were released and headed home to start their lives together. Unfortunately, they were only home for 3 days before he was rushed to the emergency room, then airlifted to Westchester Medical Center for breathing issues and has been in the NICU for 28 days, and there is no definitive day for their release. Xander has been battling sepsis, cardiomyopathy (swelling of the heart), and fluid in his heart and lungs. He has been on oxygen since he was admitted to the NICU. As of right now the doctors are diagnosing his condition as chronic. Rachael and Dorian have been staying with baby Xander since the moment they arrived, either in the Ronald McDonald House or hotels. Obviously, this has placed a financial burden on Rachael and Dorian. Rachael is a teacher and her maternity leave will be up soon, but with Xander's condition, she will need a lot more time in the hospital and home with him. This is such a traumatic experience for any mom, especially a first-time mom, to experience. This breaks my heart to watch my best friend go through this. I admire her and Dorian's strength during this difficult time. Anything helps! If you are not able to donate, please consider sharing.

Thank you so much!

Jessica