Help for Baby Maria Theresa

Friends and family of baby Maria Theresa are seeking support, strength and prayers for their 1 month old baby girl, who is suffering from Covid related respiratory distress. While the family was recovering from Covid infection, baby Maria was born in Northern AZ in an unplanned home birth with help from the Fire Department. She was placed in neonatal intensive care immediately after birth and airlifted to a Phoenix neonatal intensive care unit the following week as her situation deteriorated where she was intubated and placed on a ventilator the following day. She has been in neonatal intensive care since early November with no set date for release.

Words cannot express the tenacity with which Maria has fought for her life with her family by her side. Even though the family has three other children and the hospital is a two hour drive away, baby Maria has had at least one parent with her each day.

During the first week after her transfer to Phoenix, she had a rough day as her blood oxygen levels began to desaturate and they had several doctors trying to stabilize her condition. The doctors were very worried and the family did not know if she would make it. One of the hardest things for the parents was not knowing if she would make it through and having to say the last things to their child. The parents baptized Maria in the hospital.

After several weeks of worsening condition including a secondary MRSA infection, and after many prayers offered from the family and friends, on December 8 on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, baby Maria turned the corner and was able to be de-intubated and placed on a less invasive ventilator.

Baby Maria still has a long way to go and is still in neonatal intensive care. The family asks for continued prayers and support, as the stress continues to mount from travel and medical expenses, living expenses from being on extended leave of absence to care for baby, as well as potential legal fees. Maria still needs complex life support until her lungs are able to function, and we do not know yet the long term effects. She still needs to be weaned from morphine, phenytol, benzodiazepines, supplemental oxygen, feeding tubes, and non-invasive ventilator.

We thank our family, friends and communities for the outpouring of concern and love for our family and sweet baby Maria.