Shanna Hutcheson and family

Levi's Story told by his mama, Shanna:

Levi was born on May 16th, 2023 via emergency C-section after his heart rate started to decline during labor.

He was diagnosed with HIE - hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, meaning he sustained a severe brain injury due to lack of oxygen during delivery.

He was quickly transferred to a nearby Children’s hospital for cooling, which is basically induced hypothermia to help with brain healing.

Levi was in the NICU for 29 days.

Throughout his 7 months of life, there have been many ups and downs, progress made, followed by setbacks, complications and many more re-hospitalizations.

Due to his brain injury, Levi has always been at high risk for seizures, and has had 7 EEGs at this point.

Levi struggles with dystonia and was recently given a diagnosis of epilepsy.

He is on various medications to help with his tone (to help him relax his muscles), sleep, irritability, and seizure prevention.

Levi is in multiple therapies every week — physical therapy, occupational/feeding therapy, and he participates in a group baby class that includes PT, SLP, music therapy and aquatic therapy.

Through it all, we've been so amazed by Levi’s strength and resilience. We wish he didn’t have to be so strong, but he has been a fighter from day one and never gives up.

We are SO proud of the progress he has already made, and we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes.

He has already taught us so much and changed our perspective on life, and he has a big brother who will be his #1 fan as they grow.

Over the past 7 months, we have learned so much about being medical- parents and what it takes to advocate for him- following our gut when something doesn’t feel right, and seeking multiple opinions to ensure Levi is getting the best care for HIS unique needs.

We're determined to do absolutely everything we can to help him thrive and have the best, happiest life. This includes continuing all of his current therapies / early intervention, continuing to see all of the necessary specialists he needs (neuro, vision, GI, dietitians for his G tube/feeds, etc.) and seeking out additional things that can help him, like intensive therapies (which are expensive, require travel & are not covered by insurance).

There are a lot of unexpected expenses that come with being medical parents, from random supplies, traveling to appointments including out of state hotel stays, not to mention the amount of time spent away from work / on the phone coordinating appointments, insurance, speaking with doctors, ER visits, refilling prescriptions, doing research on their diagnosis and alternative treatments - the list is endless.

We are so grateful for Levi and how far he has come, and we would not be where we are now if it wasn’t for the outpouring of love and support we have received from friends, family, my online community and even complete strangers since the day he was born. People have sent meals, gift cards for gas, food and coffee, thoughtful gifts, tons of prayers, have come over to hold Levi for naps, make grocery runs for us, and so much more. Thank you will never feel like enough. We truly are beyond thankful for all the help and love, and we couldn’t do this without all of you. Love, Shanna, Ethan, Rhett & Levi Hutcheson