Support for Alby & Family

This gofundme is on behalf of Jensen, Gray, Leland, and baby Alby Isle Sheafe-Livingston

In Jensen's words:

On Tuesday we went in for our routine 41 week appointment only to find that he wasn’t doing well. Our midwife said he needed to be born immediately. We were sent over to the labor and delivery unit and attempted an induction but within minutes he was showing signs of severe distress. The team of doctors told us we needed an emergency c-section. Our sweet boy was born on 1-21 at 4:44 pm with a head full of red hair. He had a medically complicated entrance into the world- he needed resuscitation upon delivery and began having seizures within a few hours of birth. Both Alby and I were transported to Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland where we expect to be for the next few weeks. I’m getting discharged today but Alby will remain in the NICU. He’s stable and hasn’t had a seizure since Wednesday at noon.

The last few days have felt like months. Although we have a long road ahead of us and there are a number of unknowns, it’s a true miracle that our baby boy is here with us right now and doing as well as he is. We’re grateful for the divine timing of our appointment, our care teams at both PenBay and Barbara Bush, and the support from our friends and family. Alby is an absolute gift and we are so in love with him.

________________________________

UPDATE AS OF 1/26:

With an MRI and more information from Alby's care team Jensen & Gray learned that Alby became stressed in the womb sometime during the end of pregnancy. Blood flow to his brain was restricted which caused neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). He received an MRI which showed mild to moderate damage to some parts of the left side of his brain which has the potential to impact his learning abilities in the future.

The doctors are hopeful that he will live a very normal life, but he will always need to be monitored closely by the neurology team at Maine Medical Center. As of now he is still admitted to the NICU at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital.

___________________________________

_______________________

Many people have asked how they can help, and right now monetary assistance is most helpful and immediate. Jensen and Gray have been displaced and have needed to find temporary housing and arrange meals, etc, all while navigating a very unexpected birth, and postpartum period. Anything given will help with their expenses while in Portland as well as Gray's temporary loss of income while he helps Jensen recover from a c-section (as well as any medical bills that come with this).

They say it takes a village, and that's under the best of circumstances. If you are able to give right now please help this sweet family out during a most tender and vulnerable time.