Tammy & Travis on their Healing Journey

**UPDATED: as of 10/10/2023**

Hi everyone! My name is Bri, and I have been best friends with Tammy for over 15 years. Throughout those many years, there was always one thing I knew for certain about Tammy: that she was destined to be a mother. Travis and Tammy became great friends while bonding over the tough moments of working in the service industry. Over time, the love they shared as friends became greater, flourishing into their beautiful relationship. I remember when Travis sat me down, told me how in love he was with my Tam Tam and expressed that he would propose to her with his family's gorgeous ring. I knew for certain that Travis would always stand by her and support her in the best and toughest of times, and we would see that be true in how he truly showed up for her and became her rock throughout this pregnancy journey. I have never seen Tammy happier than when she found out she was pregnant; her dream of becoming a mother was coming true! There weren't many hiccups during the nine months of pregnancy. Tammy had terrible morning sickness in the first trimester and a bit of an iron deficiency later on, but she diligently ensured she did everything possible to keep the baby happy and healthy as she grew. Here's where their story takes a horrible turn...

Their beautiful baby girl was so comfortable in mommy's belly that she did not want to come out. Almost two weeks after the baby's due date, Tammy and Travis went to the hospital to start the laborious process. But what they experienced, they would never see coming. Tammy tirelessly spent 52 hours in labor as the doctors attempted to induce her. She was given medications every four hours, checked, and rechecked, but progress wasn't made. She was exhausted by then, and the doctors tried relentlessly to induce her enough for labor. By the time she was ready to deliver, her body was so tired that she could have fallen asleep attempting to push.. the doctors knew something was not right. Baby's head was stuck in Tammy's pelvis, and she could not push her out as hard as she tried. At that point in the process, Tammy had to deliver through a c-section. Her heart was crushed, but she was a fighter and would do anything to get her baby out healthily. Many days in at this point, with very little moments of rest or sleep for both Tammy and Travis (who had been sleeping on the small couch in the room each night, not leaving her side), the doctors had to take action, prepping her for a crash c-section at 41 weeks and 6 days into pregnancy. During the c-section, the nightmare continued. Tammy lost two units of blood, and the doctors had to make a T incision in her uterus to get the baby out. Eventually, she was pulled out breech. The doctors had to quickly put Tammy under anesthesia due to the pain, and she ended up crashing even though she was given a spinal. Travis had to watch as the resuscitation kits were sped into the room, attempting to save the two loves of his life. Tammy never got to see her baby after she came out or experience skin-to-skin contact. When she finally came to, she was absolutely devastated.

Lenix Lee Thompson was born the most beautiful baby girl at over 7 pounds. She was absolutely perfect in every way. The first time I held her, I immediately burst into tears, knowing how difficult and painful the past week had been for Tammy and Travis. We were all so grateful and happy that Tammy and baby Lenix were alive and that our sweet baby girl was thriving. I wish that were the end of the story, but unfortunately it is not. Tammy had undergone a traumatic surgery, and there were weeks of healing to come. They spent another week or so in the hospital before being able to go home. Tammy was diagnosed with an ileus and had to have an NG tube placed for three days. After all of that, her c-section incision opened up and became infected. Tammy had a doctor come to check on her every other day when she was finally sent home.

**UPDATE** Tammy and Travis were attempting to settle in at home, until Sunday, 9/24 she was experiencing unusual pain in her abdominal area. To be safe, they went back to the hospital where the doctors found multiple abscesses near her uterus that needed to be addressed. Tammy also tested positive for Covid, which added yet another layer of stress, since she wouldn’t be able to see Lenix while she was in the hospital awaiting the procedure. The hope was that they would be able to be drained with a minor surgery. Throughout the week the doctors noticed her bowel continuously becoming more and more inflamed. Saturday at around 1am, she went into surgery; the medical plan was to drain the abscesses laparoscopically, but unfortunately the general surgical team had to step in to address her inflamed bowels. She went through a major intensive surgery, in which the doctors had to remove her bowels completely, flushing them out, where they found an obstruction that had to be removed.

Tammy woke up after the surgery to find out that what she thought was a simple procedure turned into a major general surgery. She woke up on her 30th birthday in excruciating pain and had to have an NG tube inserted yet again as she began another healing process from the major surgery. Although the surgery went well and recovery is in motion, the abscesses still have to be addressed. Tammy is now being transferred to UCSD’s medical center to receive the proper treatment and care for draining the abscesses. They are also going to assess the cyst mass on her neck that has been growing in size and increasing in pain over the last week. So now the journey continues as we await what the next steps will be in this journey to healing and recovery.**UPDATE**

Tammy and Travis moved back to California a few months before the baby was born. Although they had prepared financially as best as possible, they were not expecting the intensive weeks in the hospital they are now continuing to endure. No new mother or father should ever have to have experienced what Tammy and Travis did. Imagine being so excited to care for your newborn child and, instead, having to be bedridden in excruciating pain, only wishing you had the freedom to roam with them, bounce them, and run to them when they wake you up in the middle of the night. Remembering the happiness and joy that emitted from both of their faces the day they FaceTimed me to tell me they were having a baby, my heart absolutely breaks for them. This is why creating this GoFundMe was of the utmost importance to me. Tammy and Travis both have a devastatingly long journey of healing mentally and physically that has only just begun. Travis has been an instrumental support system to Tammy but has to eventually return to work once the dust finally settles. That is why I am asking you all today to donate to this beautiful family if you feel so inclined within your heart to do so. Any amount will help them handle the unforeseen costs they are continuously incurring. With all of the stressors they are experiencing each day, on top of caring for their beautiful baby girl, we can come together and lessen the load for them by making finances the last of their concerns.

I am so grateful for each of you and appreciate you taking the time to read Tammy and Travis's story. Let's help this family on their journey to healing!