How to Help

Thank you all for your support and guidance this past week. We have been overwhelmed (in the best way possible) with all the prayers, texts, calls, and guidance from those in our support system. One question we’ve been frequently receiving is “How can we help?” Sam and I have decided to dedicate a post to share with you all specific ways those following our journey can help! With these in mind, please feel free to reach out or comment below as well if you have any other questions.

1. Prayer! This has been the greatest and best way we have been supported thus far. We greatly appreciate any and all prayers that have been received through this process and time. While general prayer of the situation is absolutely appreciated, some specific events and items to pray for can help guide those during prayer:

• While there are currently no additional defects that prohibit the HLHS surgical path, those risks and defects could still occur within the next several weeks of pregnancy. We ask for prayer for a continued healthy development of the aorta and that no severe ASD forms to prohibit surgery.

• Pray for Brynne’s strength as she also manages her Spinal Muscular Atrophy as she progresses in her pregnancy.

• We have tons of moving parts in the next two months we have to sort out (moving, doctors appointments, transfer of care, and other travel logistics) so pray for God to do his thing and have everything fall into place within that sort time crunch while Sam is still working and Brynne is finishing up her semester and studying for finals.

2. Our GoFundMe campaign. You can find a link to that campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/our-little-warrior-help-cillian-fight-hlhs?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer. While we do not enjoy being in the position to ask for financial help, we are looking ahead at a very expensive couple of years. A severe HLHS diagnosis in itself is an expensive procedure. In addition to that expense, Brynne’s Spinal Muscular Atrophy disorder will require special equipment for care and transport of Cillian once he is safe and cleared to come home with us. From several surgeries, additional in-home medical monitoring equipment, special needs carriers and transportation aid’s we have been blessed by the Willis family with a GoFundMe campaign to financially assist us during this time and the months/years ahead.

3. Hospital Registry: If you would like to make a more specific gift donation, we have items in need of purchase that will aid with the long NICU and CICU stays to come. You can find that link here on our registry: www.babylist.com/baby-brynne-bish

4. Donations to Sisters by Heart. A link to their organization website can be found here: https://www.sistersbyheart.org/donate. This organization specifically supports families who are undergoing care for HLHS, as well as other congenital heart defects/disorders. We have been in contact with this organization and plan to immerse ourselves in this support system which actively assists and supports other families in the same situation as us. If you do not feel comfortable donating straight to The Bish Family, please do consider financially supporting a wonderful organization that has been extremely helpful to us and other families now, and in the near future.