Our sweet baby boy, Everett James, was born on January 25th at 6:18 AM via emergency C-section under general anesthesia at just 27 weeks gestation—far earlier than we ever expected. Megan's water broke unexpectedly on January 21st, and after several days in the hospital trying to delay labor, our little warrior made his entrance into the world, weighing just 2 lbs 7 oz.

Everett has been in the NICU since birth, where he has an amazing team taking care of him. He has been described as “feisty” and “determined,” and we know he is a fighter. However, his journey has not been easy.

When Everett was first born, he experienced respiratory failure and was unable to breathe on his own. The first time we held our tiny little guy, three members of his care team had to assist in order to manage all of the tubes and wires he needed to be hooked up to in order to survive. One month into his journey Everett battled necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal condition that causes death of the intestine tissue. There was a period of time where we were unsure if he would be ok. These were the most terrifying days of our lives. He has struggled immensely with his breathing, requiring a wide spectrum of breathing assistance from high flow oxygen to intubation. Everett continues to experience daily episodes of severe apnea and bradycardia due to his prematurity that leave him momentarily limp and not breathing - something no parent should ever have to witness. Additionally, he has dealt with anemia requiring transfusion, retinopathy of prematurity, severe edema, and multiple hernias that will require surgery in the coming months.

Everett has a long road ahead and will likely remain in the NICU past his due date (April 20th). In total, Everett will spend at least three months admitted to the hospital, and then will require extensive outpatient care. The emotional, physical, and financial toll of this experience has been overwhelming to say the least.

Donations will help us to navigate the severe financial hardships that we are currently facing as a result of our sweet boy's early arrival and medical needs. Our time away from work has caused immense strain as we so desperately try to stay on top of paying our mortgage and other household bills, NICU expenses, medical bills from Megan's unexpected hospitalization and c-section, and daily hospital expenses such as parking, gas, and food.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your consideration in helping our family through this difficult time.