An Update on Our Family: Dakota Is Finally Home, But We’re Facing an Even Greater Financial Crisis
Hi everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to give everyone an update on our family and, most importantly, share some incredibly good news.
On September 5th at 5:30 p.m., our sweet Dakota finally came home from the NICU on a trial run. ❤️
After weeks of fear, uncertainty, hospital stays, and countless prayers, getting to walk through our front door with our baby was a moment I will never forget. We are beyond grateful to finally have him home with us, and we are continuing to pray that he does well and is able to remain home where he belongs.
The love, prayers, encouragement, and support everyone has shown our family throughout Dakota’s NICU journey have meant more to us than I could ever put into words. Every prayer, every share, every kind message, and every donation has helped carry us through some incredibly difficult days.
Unfortunately, while Dakota being home is an enormous blessing, our financial situation has become even more overwhelming.
I have been on unpaid maternity leave while recovering from my C-section and spending weeks going back and forth to the hospital to be with Dakota. Because I have not yet been able to return to work, I have exhausted every bit of money and financial resources I had available.
My bank account is currently $1,067.98 in the negative, largely due to medical expenses and the financial strain our family has experienced throughout this entire situation.
On top of everything we were already facing, my roommate abruptly moved out on September 7th without informing me ahead of time and told me that I would now need to put the household bills into my name. This has placed another tremendous financial burden on our family because I was not prepared to suddenly take on those additional expenses by myself.
Our August rent is now past due because I was on unpaid maternity leave, and unfortunately, our September rent will also be late because I still have not been able to return to work.
I have also been dealing with medical bills for both of my sons. Medicaid covered approximately $2,000 of one of the medical bills, but that still leaves $3,885.20 remaining for me to deal with.
I am doing everything I can to figure this out. I have exhausted the funds I had, looked into assistance, and tried to stay on top of everything while simultaneously recovering from major surgery and caring for my children.
But honestly, I am overwhelmed.
I never expected to be in a position where I would have to ask for this much help. I have always worked hard to provide for my family and tried to handle things on my own. It is incredibly difficult for me to admit that right now, I simply cannot do this alone.
Now that Dakota is home, my priority is keeping him healthy, continuing to care for my 7-year-old, recovering myself, and getting our family back on stable ground so that I can return to work as soon as I am medically able.
Any funds raised will go directly toward helping us get through this immediate financial crisis, including:
- Past-due August rent
- September rent
- Utilities and household bills
- Medical bills for my children
- Medical expenses from my C-section and recovery
- Groceries and household necessities
- Gas and transportation
- Baby necessities and ongoing care for Dakota
- School necessities for my 7-year-old
- Overdraft and other urgent financial obligations
I know that times are difficult for so many people right now, and I never expect anyone to give what they cannot afford.
If you are able to donate, even a few dollars can make a difference for our family right now. If donating isn’t possible, simply sharing our GiveSendGo, continuing to pray for Dakota and our family, or helping us spread the word means more than you know.
We have come so far since August 7th, when our 9-pound, 8-ounce baby boy entered this world and was taken to the NICU instead of coming home with us.
Now, after everything he has fought through, we finally got to bring our baby home. ❤️
We are incredibly thankful for that blessing, and we are going to keep fighting just as hard to get our family through this financial hardship.
Please continue praying that Dakota remains strong and healthy, that I am able to return to work soon, and that we can get caught up and regain some stability.
Thank you for surrounding our family with so much love throughout this journey. We truly feel it, and we are incredibly grateful for every single person who has prayed for us, shared our story, donated, checked in, or simply kept our family in their thoughts.
Dakota is home. ❤️
Now we just need a little help getting the rest of our family back on our feet.
With all of our love and gratitude,
Brittany & Family
