Warmies for families experiencing infant loss

We are Aaron and Halei Wright and this is our story/mission.

On April 3rd 2022 Halei and I were elated to find out that we were expecting! We couldn't wait to share the news with our other kids and all of our family. Everything was perfect! From going to our first ultrasound together, to planning a gender reveal party with our closest family and friends. On May 29th 2021 we found out we were expecting a baby boy who we later decided would be named Ryker. We couldn't wait! We started buying clothes and planning his arrival in early December. Around Haleis 12/13 week mark is when every changed. At a routine visit with our OBGYN, it was discovered that Rykers amniotic sack had ruptured and we were immediately referred to a specialist where it was confirmed and diagnosed that Halei had developed a condition called PPROM which is short for pre term premature rupture of the membrane. We were given less then a 1 percent chance of him making it to viability, but were told if we could keep him healthy until 23 or 24 weeks we could begin steroid treatment to encourage lung growth. On June 27th at about week 17, everything took a turn for the worst. Halei was doubled over in pain and began having contractions. We rushed her to Banner Thunderbird, where they began running every test under the sun. It was soon discovered that Halei was experiencing a placental abruption, and was bleeding severely internally. On the morning of June 28th, were informed that due to the severity of Halei's bleeding, our only option was to induce labor and deliver our little angel. Ryker was born still and our hearts were crushed. We were left feeling empty, confused, sad and scared. Through time, hours of tears shed, and the love from all the people who surround,  us we pulled through the toughest time of our lives.

Our mission: Since our loss, Halei and I have been on mission to share our story. Not to make people feel sorry for us, but to let people know that they are not alone in these times of heartache. We decided for Rykers 1 year anniversary we wanted to do something to not only raise awareness about preterm loss, but also find something to help moms and families during these times. That's how we landed on Warmies. Warmies are a microwaveable plush animal that are designed with coping and healing in mind. During our pregnancy, in one of Rykers ultrasounds, everyone told us he looked like a turtle, which quickly became our "nickname" for him. When I came across the warmies website and saw that had baby sea turtles, a light came on. How can we buy a whole bunch of these turtles and donate them to Banner Thunderbird?  That's where you come in.  Every 16 dollars raised will buy 1 warmie that will be donated in memory of Ryker. Each turtle will get a custom tag placed around its neck sharing our story and letting them know they are not alone during their healing,  as well as a link to a Facebook page where recipients can come to not only share their story but also create a local community of families who can relate to their stories and provide support to those in need. Our goal this year is to raise enough money to buy 200 turtles and donate them on Rykers one year anniversary. Every donation whether big or small will go towards putting a warm huggable turtle in the arms of those who are grieving their loss. Every dollar counts. Even if you can't make a donation, something as simple as passing this along to someone else will help more then you may ever know. Thank you in advance and thank you for taking the time to read our story/mission.