Laying in bed. Her baby boy was just born. Usually it’s a day of happiness but not for Rachel. Rachel was given too much medicine to compensate for the pain. Since she got too much her baby came out barely breathing.

Rachel’s husband ,Patrick,  used his survival flight connections to get there baby over to U of M hospitalnfor help. Rachel watched as her baby was flown away to safety. She couldn’t leave  because the doctors were afraid of what might happen to her with just giving birth. Patrick and his father in law, Randy, drove 45 minutes to stay with his boy for the first few hours.

Rachel and Patrick were offered the Ronald McDonald house. They declined there drive was just a short 45 minutes. And other families come from all over.

Their baby was touch and go for the first week of his life. He had 2 holes in his heart. For the first year of his life he was in and out of hospitals. He even stayed in the I.C.U twice.

Rachels doctors talked to her like she was some sort of doctor. Dr. Shoemaker. Dr. shoemaker gave her too much pain killers. The man who almost got her son killed.

On top of all this Rachel and Patrick had a 9 month year old girl. And Rachel had a 7 year old son. No one was really there for him except for Rachel’s parents. Patrick wasn’t on speaking terms with his parents and his son was currently with his mother Mindy.

When at home waiting for him they were only allowed to call at certain times. Patrick himself said, “Once we knew he was going to be ok it got harder to be out there because their were so many kids who weren’t going to make it.”

By: Storm Cooper