Most of you know our awesome daughter, Eloise. But not everyone knows about her first few days with us and how we couldn't have done it without Children's Minnesota and their incredible NICU team.

Eloise was already our IVF miracle baby after years of infertility and heartache. My pregnancy was anything but easy and it was decided that Elosie would need to be born via a planned C-section. At my 36 week appointment my doctor recommended that we switch hospitals and deliver elsewhere. The reason for this at the time was related to my care, not Eloise. Little did we know that decision was going to be the most impactful decision of our entire journey!

Just a few days later I fell on my stomach while walking our dog. I found myself screaming on the phone with the nurseline while frantically packing a hospital bag. 

After hours of observation a blood test showed that I had an abrupted placenta and Eloise and I were both at risk. This lead to an emergency C-section. I don't know medical jargon and the details are forever a little blurry but I do know there wasn't a crying baby. She was silent and without oxygen or much of a heartbeat. Lucky for us we were delivering in a hospital connected to Children's Minnesota Minneapolis and there was already a large NICU team in the room even before she was born. She was rushed away with Colin and you already know now that after a short NICU stay she is the coolest, healthiest kid we know.

The reason our decision to switch hospitals was so significant is because our original birthing hospital was not equipped to provide the level of care that Eloise needed upon birth. She and Colin would have been taken by ambulance to a different hospital and I would have been away from Eloise in some of her first and most vulnerable moments. 

We cannot thank Children's Minnesota NICU enough for their nurses and staff that took care of Eloise and taught us how to care for her as well. They filmed our first moments, took photos of us as a family, and doted on her when we could not be there. They are incredible and running 10 miles for them seems like the least we can do. 

Please help us in raising our goal of 1,000 to be donated to the NICU at Children's Minnesota!

Thank you!