Zoey Aliza’s Miracle Journey (upcoming surgeries)

We need your support!

If you know and love the Kelley’s, you have probably been following along as they welcomed little miss Zoey Aliza into their family on September 12th! Zoey will be undergoing a double surgery on December 6th, where she will receive a tracheostomy and gastrostomy-tube (please see detailed update from Jeri below*).

Zoey has shown herself to be a fierce little warrior the last two and a half months, but we all want to see her be able to leave the NICU and finally go home with mom and dad. Right now, a practical way to support Jeri and Aaron is to financially sow into their immediate needs and help be a part of a successful homecoming for Zoey. Donations will help pay for any uncovered medical expenses, medical equipment, in home nursing, etc. We want to come together and help eliminate any financial stress in this season so Jeri and Aaron can focus their energy on taking care of Zoey while she prepares for and recovers from surgery. 

Jeri and Aaron have been tremendously blessed by the continual support of their friends, family and community! Zoey is already so loved by so many.  Thankyou in advance for your generosity and love towards the Kelley family!

-Heather Freytes

*Detailed update from Jeri: While in the process of trying to ween off breath support Zoey had contracted a serious gut infection which put those strides on pause. Presently, Zoey has recovered well from the gut infection and is back up to full feeds again. However during her recovery it became clear she needed support breathing and was therefore reintubated. Her little body struggles to keep her airway open on her own which could be due to her cleft pallet (hole in the roof of her mouth) or what doctor’s call a floppy airway (unconfirmed but suspected). Either way, Zoey is in need of a more secure airway. Therefore, on Dec 6th she will be having a double surgery- a tracheostomy in her throat and a g-tube in her stomach (to bypass mouth for feeding). Both procedures are completely reversible down the road but will provide Zoey the support she needs at this time. Prayers are greatly appreciated not only for the surgery which involves serious sedation, the recovery process, but also the adjustment afterwards. This means we will have a slew of medical toys coming home with us that we need to learn how to use and potentially in home nursing. We won’t know until after the surgery if Zoey will also need a ventilator for her trach or if the trach airway will be enough. So we still have a ways to go before coming home but we are getting closer. It’s time to move on from this season and these medical options will allow us to not only go home but will allow Zoey to further develop without tubes and tape all over her face (tummy time, sitting up, range of motion, seeing the outside world etc.) Thank you all for your love and support during this time. We thank God everyday for our sweet Zoey Aliza who brings us so much joy. She is a strong warrior and has been handling all of this really well!