Elijah Lyons
When Elijah Lyons was born at 28 weeks, three months before his due date, his family was not prepared for his arrival. It was an emotional and stressful time for parents Amanda and Jason Lyons. Elijah was born at T.J. Samson Community Hospital in Glasgow, Kentucky, and was immediately taken to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville. Born weighing just two pounds and two ounces, Elijah’s lungs were underdeveloped, and he had other complications involving his eyes and heart.
Elijah was released from the hospital on January 7, nearly three months after he was born. While the homecoming should have been joyous for the family, it was bittersweet for Elijah’s parents. They didn’t have a home of their own to return to with their new family. The Lyons had to depend on other family members for a place to stay.
Their baby’s sudden delivery left little time to gather essential baby supplies. While Elijah was in the hospital, his parents stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. It was there they learned about Kosair Charities and made a phone call that helped alleviate much of their worry.
According to Elijah’s mother, Amanda, Kosair Charities has helped them in immeasurable ways. “Emotionally, they were there for us,” said Amanda. “They talked to us not just as people, but as friends.” Beyond the emotional support, Kosair Charities provided the family with many tangible items to prepare them for Elijah’s life outside the hospital, including a crib, a car seat, diapers, toys, clothes and more.
Amanda and Jason are extremely grateful for the assistance they have received. “Kosair Charities got things for Elijah that we couldn’t give him,” said Amanda. “Elijah wouldn’t have had a Christmas at all if it wasn’t for Kosair Charities.”
At four months old, Elijah is doing well. His lingering health concerns include retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which is characterized by abnormal development of the blood vessels that supply the retina and can cause blindness in extreme cases. He also has patent ductus arteriosus, a condition where a small blood vessel in the heart that is supposed to close at birth does not and can lead to a heart defect. Both conditions may correct themselves. At last check, Elijah’s ROP had subsided, but it is still too soon to know whether either issue will be a long-term problem for him.
Elijah still wears a heart and respiration monitor and, because he was premature, he has not yet caught up developmentally with other babies his age. He weighs 10 pounds now, and his mother says he loves to eat.
The family also has their own place to live, thanks to the assistance of a Glasgow Shriner. They feel blessed by the kindness and generosity Kosair Charities has shown them. “If Kosair Charities hadn’t offered some of the things for Elijah, we probably wouldn’t have them at all,” said Amanda.