Miranda Diller and her baby bump with an ultrasound photo of the baby. Photos courtesy of Miranda Diller.
By McKenzie Williams
On Wednesday, June 5, Angela Henderson of Libby started a GoFundMe online fundraiser for an unborn baby named Havyn. Henderson is a close friend of Miranda Diller, Havyn’s mother-to-be, who grew in the area.
As of Friday, June 7, the fundraiser had already been shared 473 times and it had raised $1,840 toward a $10,000 goal in less than two days.
Henderson’s efforts are to support Diller and her family with expenses related to upcoming medical bills and associated travel.
In November, Diller and Caden Baxter found out that they were expecting a child. Shortly after, the couple moved from North Dakota to Indiana for better job opportunities. Then, in January, they found out from their baby girl’s genetic screening, that she is at high risk for Down syndrome. In February, an ultrasound test again found that her chances of having Down syndrome are high. They also discovered that Havyn has a hole in her heart. Doctors decided that Diller would have to deliver in a bigger hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio for the best chance of her baby’s survival.
Recently, with a MRI, and fetal echocardiogram, doctors discovered that baby Havyn has atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD).
According to www.cincinnatichildrens.org, AVSDs are relatively common heart defects that are present from birth and occur most often in infants with Down syndrome. AVSD involves holes between the right and left heart chambers, and the valves that control blood flow. The left ventricle of Hayvn’s heart is extremely small, and she has a leak on her right side. She has a “complete unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect with left sided hypoplasia and moderate atrioventricular valve regurgitation.”
Diller is unable to work due to her baby’s delicate situation, and doctors have confirmed that Havyn, once born, will need three surgeries. The family has a long road ahead with the first surgery needed within seven to ten days of their baby’s birth. The second one will be done at four to six months old, and the third will be at age three.
After her first surgery, Havyn’s recovery time will be at least a month, and longer if she is born with Down syndrome. The mortality rate for the first surgery is within 5-10%, and with Down syndrome that is doubled.
For now, Diller and Baxter have to travel from their home in Indiana to Cincinnati every Monday and Thursday for appointments. During this stressful and difficult time, the couple needs a place to stay, gas money, and money for other costs as they arise. They are planning to relocate to Cincinnati on June 17 so they can be closer to Havyn’s doctors and ensure that her healthcare needs are addressed.
“Thank you to everyone who has prayed, thought of us, and donated to help our family! I am so thankful to be a part of such a great community that is willing to take the time to send thoughts to our little girl and our family. I definitely think Havyn is showing her dad and I how to be strong in ways we have never known before. And how to be optimistic, and even from inside, she’s teaching me more life lessons than I think I’ve learned my whole life,” Diller told The Montanian.
If you would like to learn more or contribute to the family, visit www.gofundme.com and search Help Baby Havyn.