A miracle for Mason James Sheilds

Hi my name is Kari and I am looking for some support for our good friends Jim and Kristen. Their gorgeous baby boy was born at 34 weeks (6weeks early) on August 25th. This family has a long journey ahead and all of the help and support and especially prayers are very much appreciated. Please read their story below.

On August 11th, at Mason’s 32 week growth scan the Dr’s discovered that Kristen’s blood pressure was extremely high, and she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia.

Also during the scan, the Dr noticed an abnormality in Mason’s brain. Something they call Vein of Galen malformation (VOGM). It is a type of rare blood vessel abnormality inside the brain.

In VOGM, misshapen arteries in the brain connect directly with veins, instead of connecting with capillaries, which help slow blood flow.

This causes a rush of high-pressure blood into the veins.

This extra pressure in the veins can cause a number of problems:

The rush of blood toward the heart and lungs forces the heart to work overtime to get blood to the rest of the body.

This can lead to congestive heart failure in some infants.

Blood pressure in the arteries from the heart to the lungs may rise, causing a serious condition called pulmonary hypertension.

The high pressure in the veins can prevent the infant’s brain from draining adequately. This can lead to widespread brain injury and sometimes causes severe loss of tissue in the brain.

Kristen was immediately transferred to Cooper and was watched very closely until they could safely deliver Mason by C-Section at 34 weeks. Mason is now in the NICU at CHOP and will be there for for an unknown extended amount of time due to being pre-mature and to be watched and treated for this rare brain aneurysm. Mason will also need surgery in the near future to fix this malformation. Kristen and Jim will be traveling back and forth to Philly to see their baby for this extended time and Kristen will be out of work for a number of months to care for their baby.

We are asking for help with medical bills, travel expenses, food, gas, missed work and even normal every day expenses that will be a burden during this difficult time.

We are staying positive through this journey and will continue to pray every day for the health of baby Mason

If you are unable to donate please share this and send all the prayers and good thoughts to this amazing family.