Doctors in North Carolina knew something was wrong with Danielle and Eddie’s unborn son, Eddy. They could tell that Eddy had a heart condition, but it wasn’t until after he was born that doctors realized it was actually two rare heart conditions. His hometown care team in North Carolina feared they would not be able to support Eddy when he was born, so his parents searched for help. They found expert care hours away in Cincinnati.

Eddy was born a month early. He would need three surgeries to save his life, but he needed to be strong enough to get through them. The first surgery should have happened within a few days of being born, but Eddy was struggling to breathe. The first time his mom was able to hold him was for a brief moment as she handed him to the team that would air lift him to Cincinnati. His parents drove all night to get to his bedside, leaving their other children behind in the care of family members.

Eddie has had the first of his three major heart surgeries. Next, he needs to get a trach, but first he must grow strong enough to have that procedure. Until then, his family will be right next door in their room in our House. Danielle shared:

“The first night we got to Cincinnati, we stayed in the hospital because it was snowing. The next night, we went to a hotel. By the time we got there, even though we had already paid for it, I was so nervous to be far away from Eddy because he was so sick. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s too far. 

That’s why it was a blessing as soon as the House called. I’m scared to leave the hospital sometimes, but because we’re so close, it’s ok because if they do call, I can get there real quick. I want people to know how thankful I am. We didn’t know how this journey was going to go. We didn’t know we were going to have to come here. When they told us, we were in a different state and we don’t have any family here. This House has helped us take a lot off of our shoulders, like where we are going to sleep. It keeps us so close to him so we can make sure he’s ok at all times. I really appreciate that because we didn’t know what we were going to do. I’m very grateful. I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I was anywhere else.” – Danielle, Eddy’s mom

With your help, we can continue to keep families like Eddy’s close to each other and to the critical care they need.