'She's Priceless': Parents Sacrifice Everything to Afford Treatment for Premature Baby
Few forms of love can rival the affection that a parent has for their child.
When it comes to their precious little ones, most parents would probably agree that no sacrifice is too great.
According to KTVZ-TV, the parents of a micro-prematurely born baby decided to leave their home in Redmond, Oregon, and move across the country so their daughter would have a better chance at life.
The couple’s baby, Amelie Grace Bacuyani, was born at 23 weeks gestation on Nov. 30, 2020, weighing only one pound and four ounces.
Since Amelie’s mother, Angie, faced pregnancy complications before the day of delivery, her doctors predicted the baby had only a 10 percent chance of survival. When she proved them wrong by surviving, Amelie’s odds increased to 30 percent.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the birth, Amelie’s mother fell in love with her during their first meeting.
“When I first saw her, I was super surprised how perfect she looked,” Angie Bacuyani said. “I feel like every single miracle has just happened before my eyes.”
After overcoming complications with her heart, kidneys, brain, and other issues, problems with her lungs continued to plague the baby.
Like many premature babies, Amelie was diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD. In most BPD cases, an infant’s lungs do not develop normally, and the child may experience long-term difficulties with breathing.
Still, after learning that Amelie had BPD, the baby’s parents refused to give up on her.
Instead, they decided to relocate, so Amelie could receive treatment at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
The hospital is one of the few facilities in the country to offer comprehensive care to infants with BPD, and boasts a neonatal intensive care unit that specializes in the disorder. According to its website, the hospital’s BPD patients have a survival rate of 99 percent, compared to the national average, which is 80 percent.
While relocating to Ohio seemed like Amelie’s best hope, the journey there was not easy. The Bacuyanis were forced to sell almost everything they owned in a yard sale to cover the cost of the move and pay off over $1.3 million in medical bills.
To Angie, the cost is a small price to pay for the life of her little girl.
“She’s priceless,” the mother said. “She means the world to me.”
The parents were not without support, however, as they prepared to rearrange their lives.
Angie said that she was “grateful” for the donations her family received online. The mother said it “warms [her] heart” to know that complete strangers cared enough about Amelie to offer their support.
After facing concerns about debt and where to live, it seems the Bacuyanis are at last headed to Ohio.
According to an update posted Monday on the family’s GoFundMe page, Amelie’s parents accepted an offer on their home that was “way over [the] asking price.”
The plan is for Angie to depart with her baby via medical transport on Thursday, while her husband and other children are set to arrive next week.
“When we first thought about going to Ohio, mommy had total faith that if it wasn’t meant to be, the doors wouldn’t open,” Angie wrote. “Well, it looks like it’s meant to be. God wants us in Ohio. So here we go.”
If anything, the situation is a reminder that when parents are determined to save their child, there is no force in the world powerful enough to deter them.
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