The Rolen Family

 

If you want to help Tony and Steph and are unsure how I want to share their story. What happened to my sister and brother-in-law is tragic. The story below only scratches the surface of what her and Tony have experienced, but I wanted a way to share their story and create an avenue to help if you wanted to help support them.

 

Tony and Steph married in 2014 in Cascade Locks, OR. They always wanted a family and couldn’t have imagined how difficult it would be.

 

After seven years of focusing on growing their family, one successful birth, and three consecutive miscarriages, Steph and Tony were delighted to be expecting again. They were about to have a daughter, but life took an unexpected turn.

 

Steph fainted while teaching her elementary PE class. EMS quickly arrived and took her to the nearest hospital. Steph was rushed into the ER, where Tony met her anxiously. Their baby girl had a shallow pulse. Doctors immediately decided that Steph needed an emergency c-section to try to save the baby. After the surgery, their baby was not breathing and had no heartbeat. The doctors and nurses did everything they could, but their little baby girl did not survive. With a broken heart, Tony held his daughter for the first time. She was still warm, wrapped up in her blanket, but unresponsive.

 

Due to hemorrhaging Steph immediately needed a life-saving hysterectomy, ending any chance of trying for another child. Doctors performed several blood transfusions and used all the blood the hospital carried. The surgery saved Steph's life. She had a brief moment with Tony asking how the baby was? With tears in his eyes, he told her that her baby did not survive.

 

Steph was to be transferred by air to another hospital and was Life Flighted to OHSU in Portland. After several imaging procedures and two more blood transfusions later, Steph was starting to recover.

 

The following week Tony and Steph were able to go to the funeral home to hold their little girl and say goodbye to her one last time. They named her Wrenley May Rolen. 

 

For those of you that do not know Tony and Steph, they are both teachers and love working with kids. They wanted nothing more than to grow their family.

 

It has been a long road for these two awesome humans. They have medical, counseling, and funeral home bills coming their way. They have endured a lot. Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you so much for all your love and support.