She knew continuing her pregnancy could put her own life in danger. But this young mom held on for five more weeks, giving her tiny baby every extra day she possibly could.
She knew continuing her pregnancy could put her own life in danger. But this young mom held on for five more weeks, giving her tiny baby every extra day she possibly could.
Now mom and baby are fighting their own medical battles in two separate hospitals.
Their names are Ashlie and Liam. And Ashlie’s aunt, Autumn, reached out to me hoping all of you would surround them with prayer.
Autumn says Ashlie was already living with stage 3 kidney failure when she unexpectedly became pregnant while on birth control.
At 18 weeks, her condition became critical.
She was flown to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis and admitted to intensive care, where Autumn says the family faced an incredibly difficult decision.
According to Autumn, because of the danger to Ashlie’s health, ending the pregnancy was an option. But she says Ashlie’s faith and personal beliefs led her to continue carrying Liam despite the risks.
And she held on.
Five more weeks.
At 23 weeks and 3 days, Autumn says Ashlie began losing her vision and her blood pressure became too dangerous for the pregnancy to continue.
Liam was delivered by C-section on July 13th.
He was impossibly early.
And mother and son have been fighting ever since.
Autumn says Ashlie has since been transferred to another hospital and is now battling stage 4 kidney failure, idiopathic intracranial hypertension and the early stages of heart failure.
And little Liam has already been through so much in his first four weeks of life.
His aunt says he has undergone multiple procedures and surgeries, including two ostomies and a spinal tap, and has experienced multiple seizures.
But Liam keeps fighting.
He keeps growing.
And his family keeps believing in him.
Autumn has remained in Indianapolis since his birth, going between two hospitals and advocating for both her niece and this tiny little boy.
She says she has been sleeping on a pullout sofa in Liam’s hospital room while waiting for space at Ronald McDonald House.
After everything this family has endured, what Autumn asked from all of us first was prayer.
Pray for Ashlie’s body to heal.
Pray for Liam to keep growing stronger.
Pray for the doctors and nurses caring for both of them.
And pray for the day this mom and her little boy can finally be together somewhere other than a hospital.
