Vanessa, Matt Navigate a High-Risk Pregnancy, Medical Crisis

Hello friends, family, and kind-hearted supporters,

Please assist our friends Matthew and Vanessa Lefler in the midst of a high risk pregnancy and major health complications.

Vanessa is fighting for her life—and her baby’s. At just 19 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with a dangerous heart condition that could fail at any moment. But she chose hope. She chose to keep going. Now, she and her husband Matt (active military servicemember) need our help—medical travel, housing, medical costs, car repairs, care giving following procedure, even pet care—as they fight to bring their baby girl safely into the world. Please donate or share if you can. Even a little bit brings them closer to hope.

Any help is appreciated, whether it is donating, sharing, or holding them in your prayers, thank you.

Vanessa and Matt's Detailed Story

Vanessa and Matthew are overjoyed to be expecting their first child due in October 2025, a beautiful baby girl. A little about the couple:

Matthew proudly serves in the Army, stationed in Fort Cavazos, Texas. Having joined in 2023, between training and being stationed the couple was quickly swept up into a deployment returning to Texas in January of 2025. Vanessa who had worked for a small food truck business had planned to move jobs to help with the long commute and be closer to home when they were surprised and overjoyed to find out they were pregnant. What should be a joyful journey into parenthood has taken an unexpected and deeply challenging turn.

From the beginning Vanessa’s pregnancy has been high risk with gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and hypothyroidism. She began seeing her doctors every two weeks for careful monitoring, and during one of these appointments, a doctor detected a heart murmur—something Vanessa had never been told before. This led to an echocardiogram that would shift the degree of high risk nature in her pregnancy.

They discovered a mass in her left atrium of the heart. she was transferred at 18 weeks pregnant to Baylor Scott & White hospital in Temple, TX for a more specialized treatment and care plan for her heart and how it may affect her pregnancy. In her second echocardiogram conducted at Baylor Scott and White, she was called back in only 1 hour to be admitted to the hospital.

This began the long journey the couple had experienced since May 15th. At newly 19 weeks pregnant doctors explained the left atrium mass is causing the blood flow to struggle, and while this mass is an issue there is also the narrowing of the pulmonary arteries. These two conditions are leading to elevated right atrium pressures. When a catheter was completed the doctors suspicions were confirmed. The pressure in a normal right atrium being 25-30, Vanessa’s were sitting at 115. While not symptomatic, this could lead to right heart failure. This condition alone is cause for concern, but the rise in blood volume and hormonal changes experienced in pregnancy can make this condition move quickly. If not dealt with, it can and will lead to heart failure.

The couple was recommended to terminate, and that she may never be able to carry another child because of this condition. Through a lot of thought and courage, they decided to give their baby girl the best chance they could. The original goal was delivering at 24 weeks pregnant, point of viability, as long as there are no symptoms of right heart failure.

As testing progressed, the doctors at Baylor Scott were still not sure of the source of the mass or the narrowing of the pulmonary arteries. The doctors feared the worse scenario--the need to put her on ECMO (a heart and lung bypass machine) and their hospital would not have the ability to do a heart and double lung transplant. Because of this, she was transferred by ambulance for 2.5 hours to UT Southwestern in Dallas Texas. This is one of 2 hospitals in Texas that can perform a heart and double lung transplant.

When she arrived at UT Southwestern, it was a fresh of breath air. The doctors' approach was hopeful. At UT Southwestern, they have the knowledge about medical situations Vanessa is experiencing. The team is optimistic and choose to perform a second more detailed MRI with hopes of stenting the Pulmonary Arteries while pregnant. This could potentially relieve pressure in the right atrium and allow her to carry her pregnancy further, where target delivery is between 28-32 weeks, given she stays asymptomatic. She was discharged for a few weeks before they could do another MRI due to iron received from the other hospital.

At 24 weeks she received her MRI and is waiting for the stent procedure. Currently she is under close monitoring with frequent doctor visits to Dallas to ensure her and the baby girl's safety.

Approaching her third trimester she will need to be permanently in Dallas with Matthew close to the hospital until birth.

Despite everything, Vanessa and Matthew trying to stay strong, and preparing for the early arrival of their baby girl. Doctors are thrilled this was caught early so they have more time to prepare and keep her and the baby safe, however, the hardest part has not approached.

The delivery and hormone shifts in post partum are the largest concern for the doctors as these major changes can negatively affect her heart. The hope is they can keep her heart as steady as possible in birth, and have a plan after to ensure her safety. Their daughter will be in the NICU, with an amazing team of doctors helping her continue her growth.

How you can help the couple:

We are asking you to help support this couple through this difficult time, and to help the financial burden this has on their little family. Funds would help with various things:

1) Travel expenses for weekly, biweekly trips to Dallas ( they live 2 1/2 hours away)

2) Lodging near the hospital as needed

3) Car maintenance/repair. Vanessa’s SUV had an engine fail, leading them to have to replace the engine to have a suitable vehicle for their daughter.

4) Daily living expenses as they navigate long hospital stays and time away from work.

5) Caregiving expenses for Vanessa after surgery

6) Expenses to ensure their fur babies are taken care of in the long time they will be away from home

This couple is facing unimaginable uncertainty—but they are doing it with courage, love, and faith. We want to help lift the burden where we can so Vanessa and Matthew can focus on her health and bring their baby girl into the world safely.

With immense gratitude and love,