Hello friends and family. Before anything else, I want to thank you for taking the time to read Ellie’s story. Even pausing for a moment to listen to our journey means more to us than you could ever know. Writing this is not easy for me. Asking for help has never been something I am comfortable with. But when it comes to my daughter, I have learned that love sometimes means putting pride aside and reaching out with an open heart.
Ellie entered this world far earlier than anyone expected. She was born at just 29 weeks, so tiny and fragile, with her life already hanging in a delicate balance. While most babies were still growing safely inside the womb, Ellie was fighting to breathe, to regulate her body, and simply to survive. From her very first moments, her life has been shaped by hospital walls, bright lights, and constant monitoring instead of the quiet comfort every newborn deserves.
Now, Ellie is nine months old. In those nine short months, she has endured more than many people experience in a lifetime. She has undergone three EEGs to monitor her brain activity, a sedated brain MRI, and surgery to place a G-tube so she can receive the nutrition her body needs to grow. She has been poked and prodded countless times — IVs, blood draws, X-rays, IV fluids — procedures that are routine to medical staff but heartbreaking for a parent to watch again and again.
Ellie has also been admitted to the hospital on multiple occasions. Each admission brings fear, uncertainty, and long nights filled with worry. The most recent hospital stay lasted six days. Six days of sleeping in chairs, listening to machines beep through the night, and watching my baby struggle while trying to stay strong for her. Six days of being exactly where I need to be — right by Ellie’s side — while the rest of life continues moving forward without us.
I am Ellie’s only financial provider. Every hospital stay means missed work. Every missed shift means lost wages. And every lost paycheck makes the financial strain heavier. I have tried to manage quietly, to juggle bills, responsibilities, and exhaustion without asking for help. I have pushed myself to keep going, believing I could somehow make it all work on my own. But the truth is, the medical bills have continued to pile up, and the weight of them has become overwhelming.
Medical care has saved Ellie’s life more than once, and I will always be grateful for that. But the cost of that care is something I am struggling to carry alone. Thousands of dollars in medical bills now sit in front of me, and with the most recent hospital stay, I have fallen behind. I am doing everything I can, but I have reached a point where I need support.
This is the hardest part for me to say.
I am asking for help.
Not because I want to, but because I need to — so I can continue doing what matters most: staying by Ellie’s side day and night. Any donation, no matter how big or small, will go directly toward paying off Ellie’s medical bills and helping us regain some stability. Every contribution helps lift a little of the financial burden and allows me to focus on being present for my daughter during this critical time in her life.
Ellie continues to defy the odds every single day. Despite everything she has faced, she keeps fighting. She keeps growing. She keeps showing me that strength isn’t measured by size or age, but by resilience and heart. Watching her endure so much at such a young age has changed me forever. She is my motivation when I feel exhausted, my courage when I feel afraid, and my reminder that miracles don’t always come quietly — sometimes they come in the form of a tiny baby who refuses to give up.
If you are able to help us financially, please know that your kindness will never be forgotten. If you’re unable to donate, sharing Ellie’s story, sending love, or keeping her in your thoughts and prayers means just as much. Support comes in many forms, and all of it matters deeply to us.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story. Thank you for caring about Ellie. And thank you for standing with us as we continue to fight, hope, and believe in brighter days ahead.
With so much love and gratitude,
Allie and Ellie 💕
