Our sweet son, Everett, was born very sick on April 17th, 2018.
He was diagnosed with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy in addition to a very rare and fatal neurological disorder, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy.
We spent each of the 36 days we had with him soaking up every moment.
Our son passed away peacefully with us by his side.
We let him know it was okay to let go and that we would all be okay. He is no longer sick or in pain and has changed our lives forever. He will live on through us and by helping others through this foundation. Everett’s great-grandmother, Jean, often used the saying, “whatever it takes”. This was our motto in the NICU and the inspiration behind the foundation name.
One in eight babies born will require care in the NICU
According to the Jackson Chance Foundation, approximately half of the babies admitted to the NICU are preterm and the remainder are term babies, like Everett. The average stay for a baby in the NICU is 4 weeks with an expected hospital charge of at least $75,000. One of our foundation’s goals is to help families with the costs related to the NICU such as our support of the Jackson Chance Foundation’s transportation program. We were recipients of their parking pass during our stay and it was one less burden that we had to think about, allowing us to spend all of our time with Everett.
Source - www.parenting.com/article/nicu-care
Why the NICU is so CRITICAL.
Roughly half a million babies born will require aid from the NICU each year.
No parent expects their baby to wind up in the NICU, but every year 10 to 15 percent of babies born in the United States (roughly half a million) due to reasons including prematurity (born before 37 weeks gestation), heart problems, birth defects, breathing irregularities and infections, among others.
To learn more about Everett’s specific conditions:
With the kindness of family and friends,
we started this foundation and began raising money to support causes related to Everett.
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