Help the Hoefle Family Recover From Their Loss

Trigger Warning: Infant Loss

On Thursday, October 27th I was called by my brother-in-law Shaun who informed me that my eight months pregnant sister Blaire was very sick and needed to be taken to the hospital. He asked that I stay with my niece until they got back. It took 20 minutes for myself and a family friend to arrive and when we did, the street was blocked with ambulances and fire trucks; my sister had given birth to their son, Riot, in their bathroom. Blaire was barely responsive on the bathroom floor as Shaun held their son until paramedics arrived and Blaire was rushed to the hospital. Medics attempted to revive Riot but he didn’t survive. Shaun's birthday became the worst day of their lives.

We were told by doctors that Blaire was suffering from AFLP, acute fatty liver in pregnancy, and that her liver was no longer functioning. A bed was being found for her at UW Montlake, and if her liver didn't improve within the next 48 hours she would need an emergency liver transplant. Our entire family was devastated at the loss of our son, brother, nephew, and grandson, and terrified that Blaire might not make it through. After days of hoping and praying, Blaire's condition began to improve and her liver started to function again. She was released from the hospital and while we were all ecstatic that she had pulled through, Blaire and Shaun had to face everything else that resulted from the events of that night. They had to tell their daughter, Rebell, that her brother was gone, they had to walk into a home full of baby shower gifts and items accumulated during the preparation for Riot's arrival, they had to go to a funeral home to say goodbye to their son, and they had to figure out how to recover financially from loss of work and the medical bills that were soon to be arriving. On the morning of the worst day of their lives, Shaun was forced to drain their savings to pay a large medical bill that was past due. Neither Shaun nor Blaire qualify for PFML, and due to finances Shaun was forced to return to work only days after Blaire was released from the hospital.

The Hoefles are the first to help anyone who is in need but never ask for help for themselves, so I'm asking for them. Please help provide them with what they need to get through this devastating time.