
The Millwood Family
Shelby and LeeAnnah Millwood.
Where do I begin?
Ever since Shelby was young, he knew he wanted to be a family man-- a daddy.
Shelby and LeeAnnah started dating in 2014. We instantly knew that LeeAnnah was exactly what Shelby needed. By October 2015, they were married. Shelby is one of the funniest, hard-working men you will ever meet. LeeAnnah is loving, accepting of everyone, and has the biggest heart!
On December 29, 2016, Shelby and LeeAnnah became parents.
James "Kase" Millwood is a fiery little red-head that keeps his parents on their toes. This boy has one mode: FULL SPEED AHEAD. He is endlessly energetic and so adventurous. He is here to make an impact on the world!
On May 17, 2018, Ellie Kate Millwood was born. She is sugar, spice, and all daddy's girl. Ellie Kate can be silly and sassy or calm and quiet. She is the ideal combination of her parents and the perfect addition to our family.
In November 2019, Shelby and LeeAnnah found out that they would soon be a family of FIVE! We were so surprised and excited to find out that our family would be growing! LeeAnnah had a pretty uneventful pregnancy and we all expected a quick and easy delivery like she has had in the past.
After all, everyone knows that mawmaw always says "we make beautiful babies." Saturday, July 18, 2020 was no exception. LeeAnnah went into labor Friday afternoon and was in the hospital for monitoring overnight. Early the next morning the doctor came in to break her water. Unfortunately, it was at this time that LeeAnnah had a placental abruption. A placental abruption occurs when the placenta detaches from the wall of the womb (uterus) before the baby has been safely delivered. This is a medical emergency and occurs in 1% of pregnancies. Once the placenta detached, LeeAnnah lost a lot of blood. Shelby and LeeAnnah were rushed into the cesarean section suite at Methodist Germantown where she had an emergency c-section. Because the placenta is the only way a baby gets oxygen and nutrients, it was imperative to perform the c-section as quickly as possible.
Around 10:00 AM Jason "Haynes" Millwood entered this world at 6 lbs 9.5 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. Due to the complications with the placenta, he required some life saving interventions immediately after delivery. After a few rounds of CPR, Haynes was intubated (breathing tube was placed in his airway) and placed on a ventilator (a machine that pumps air with extra oxygen into the lungs) He was also placed on a "cooling blanket" and transferred to the neonatal intensive care (NICU.) Babies that have been deprived from oxygen are often placed on these cooling blankets for 72 hours. The purpose of lowering his body's temperature is to not only reduce swelling around the brain, but to also reduce the likelihood and severity of long-term impairments.
On Sunday Haynes' condition seemed to improve slightly. He was being a rowdy little thing and continued to fight the vent until developed a pulmonary hemorrhage. After this was stabilized, he received more sedation and settled down some. He seems like he may be stubborn like his daddy! The nurses also told them that they were able to slowly wean him off of some oxygen support the vent was providing.
Monday was one of his hardest days in the NICU. Haynes had several set backs and mommy and daddy were emotional, mentally, and physically exhausted.
Early Tuesday morning the team that was caring for Haynes felt like he should be transferred to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital for more specialized care. Around 9:00 AM Haynes was transferred to the Le Bonheur PICU. Unfortunately, only Shelby was able to come with Haynes because LeeAnnah was still a patient on the postpartum floor at Methodist Germantown.
Within the first hour of Haynes' stay at Le Bonheur he had an ultrasound of his head (to check for bleeding), a chest x-ray, and a PICC line placed. A PICC line is similar to a peripheral IV, but it is inserted into a large vein that carries blood into the heart. The PICC line is used for long-term intravenous (IV) antibiotics, nutrition or medications, and for blood draws. It can also stay in place longer, so it was an important procedure for Haynes to have.
LeeAnnah was discharged later Tuesday and was able to join Shelby and Haynes in the PICU. We have been told that they can both stay in the PICU for at least five days. After that there is a possibility that only one parent will be able to stay with Haynes due to new COVID-19 policies.
LeeAnnah reports that Tuesday night was finally a good night! Haynes did not have any setbacks overnight and she was able to get her first real night of sleep since his delivery. The doctor tells them that if they are able to continue decreasing the vent settings and he doesn't decline, they will be able to more testing on him.
Haynes' condition is very critical but does continue to make small improvements. Right now Shelby and LeeAnnah are praying without ceasing and celebrating the victories, no matter how small. This family needs the same from you!
How can you help this precious family?
1. Prayer:
- Pray for LeeAnnah as she heals from her c-section.
- Pray for Shelby as he remembers the traumatic experience that should have been one of the happiest days of his life.
- Pray for the Le Bonheur staff caring for Haynes.
- Pray for the financial needs of the family.
- Pray for the parents’ comfort and sanity during this exhausting time.
2. Donations:
- Monetary Donations
-donate to GoFundMe for assist with medical bills and other general needs
- Gift Cards
- restaurant or grocery store gift cards (because hospital food gets old)
- gas gift cards (traveling back and forth can be costly).
- Postpartum needs
- Any essentials that new mothers would want or need: socks, a robe, house slippers, a soft blanket and pillow, etc
- Food
- Snacks and drinks are always appreciated by anyone staying for an extended time in the hospital