Big Smiles

Because of Parker...

Three years ago today, Parker Reese Singletary was born. She lived only one day, but her life has made an incredible impact on our family. We firmly believe that Parker saved our son's life. 

Because of Parker, Jes (Parker's mother) felt inspired to form the Parker-Reese Foundation. We met Jes before Davis was born, and she convinced us to at least tour Duke, just to see what they had to offer. On Jes' recommendation we did just that, and fell in love with the team there immediately. We knew they were the doctors who could give Davis the best chance at life. 

If it hadn't been for Jes, we would never have looked into Duke. 

If it hadn't been for Duke, Davis would not be alive today. 

If it hadn't been for Parker, none of this would have happened. 

Thank you, Parker. We never met you but we love you. 

This kid is awesome!

Davis continues to make amazing improvements at home. Pushing for an early discharge was absolutely the right thing for us to do. When we first took Davis home, we would sometimes struggle to get him to take even 5 cc's from a bottle. Yesterday, in about 15 minutes, he ate 3.5 ounces (that's over 100 ml's) and was hungry for more!!! 

He's growing and progressing so fast. Davis is our first baby so I am completely astounded at how quickly he is changing. He is talking to us a lot more - cute baby babble- and smiling like crazy. He has learned how to hold a toy for a longer period of time. Everything he grasps now goes straight into his mouth. He needs a lot of stimulation, and loves to hang out on the porch and listen to the birds chirp. He is just the coolest kid ever. 

Parker Reese Foundation Needs You!

I think many of you know of the Parker Reese Foundation. They provide a beautiful, peaceful home for CDH families traveling to Duke for medical care, and they ask absolutely nothing in return. They are amazing. 

The financial burden of CDH is something people don't often discuss, but it is very real. Our medical bills are... well, let's not even go there! There is so much stress in fighting the CDH battle. As if knowing your child may not make it isn't enough, families often have to move far from their homes, families, etc... in our case, we moved 4 hours away to get the best possible care for Davis. It was tough. Lucky for us, we never had to think about where we would stay or how we would pay for it. Parker Reese Foundation took care of everything for us. 

The Parker Reese house is on a peaceful old dairy farm about 15 minutes from the hospital. It is so serene and quiet there. They allowed our families to stay there, too, which made a huge difference for us! It became our second home. I cannot say enough good things about Parker Reese Foundation. 

Now, they need your help. For just $16, you can sponsor a family staying at Parker Reese House for one night, and you get a t-shirt! If you can give more please do. Email info@theparkerreesefoundation.com to help babies like Davis and their parents. Please help! I don't know what we would have done without these guys. Thanks everybody :)

"freakin' awesome"

Just a quick update on Davis' cardiology visit yesterday. Dr. McGovern said (and I quote) that Davis was "freakin' awesome." He was so impressed with his progress and not concerned about anything at all. We'll still go back in a couple of months to be extra careful, but we are so happy that our little man got such a fantastic report card! Go Davis!