Couple lost all hope when their newborn baby died in hospital — weeks later, a call from a nurse transformed their lives
The initial months of a newborn’s life are fragile. A lot is going on in their bodies and adapting to the changes after coming out of the womb is difficult. Unfortunately, many parents lose their infants in the initial months of their lives and it is a devastating grief that follows. Katie and Josh Butler were thrilled to welcome their baby, like every other parent, per Pop Sugar. Unfortunately, after a long battle with surgery, medication and treatment, the infant passed away. While the duo was heartbroken at their loss, a nurse approached them with news that left them speechless.
After 20 weeks of pregnancy, the parents found out that their baby had a genetic disorder. Though they were worried, they held on to hope and did their best throughout the pregnancy. At 39 weeks, Katie delivered Dewey. He had a battle with treatment and medication. "I fully believed Dewey was going to get better,” the mom said. Unfortunately, the parents were informed that Dewey needed surgery, during which things took a tragic turn. "While he was in surgery, Dewey's heart jumped into a strange rhythm that was completely unexpected by his medical team,” Katie revealed. He was shifted to the cardiac floor and was being monitored, but the doctors arrived with news no parent wants to hear — “He didn’t make it.”
“I didn't process it right away because Dewey had almost died so many times. I chose not to believe it, even after they rolled his little body in on his hospital bed — I was just hoping that Dewey was sleeping,” the bereaved mom said. The parents were shattered and were trying to navigate the trying time. After 2 months of Dewey’s passing, the couple received an unexpected call from the nurse, as per 4WWL. "There was a baby in the PICU that needed a family,” Katie recalled. The mom was given the details of the child. It was a male child who was “very premature, trach, vent-dependent and around a year old.”
There was a choice put before the couple and that could transform their lives. The loss of a child is not easy and months later, there they were, with the opportunity to have a slightly different parenthood. Josh and Katie discussed and immediately decided they were ready and willing to foster Braxel. Ever since he entered their lives, though there were initial health obstacles, the trio fought it together as a family. "Braxel is full of joy. We believe he knows that every day is a gift,” Katie remarked.
The mom added, “He is severely developmentally delayed in gross and fine motor skills and speech, but we have five therapy appointments a week, plus a home health nurse to get him caught up.” She also mentioned that with his rapid progress in health, he would soon be a “typical little boy!” Right enough, Braxel is a bundle of joy and in a form, an answered prayer for the Butlers.