Personal Posts

My Friend’s Baby Was Due in April & Born Today

baby boy

Amii, owner of Up on the Hill (UOTH), has been my friend since about 1993. She opened UOTH in 2012 when her husband lost his job after their second child was born.

She was surprised to find out they were expecting their third child in mid-April 2015. Unfortunately, baby boy Fritz arrived this morning, January 2, 2015 at 1 lb, 9 oz.

Amii is one of my few close friends and I can’t just stand here, I have to do something!

I set up a GoFundMe for Amii and her family where I will post updates as Amii has them. All funds raised will go to the family to pay day to day expenses. I’d love if Amii was able to hire more help to keep her store running as well. Up On the Hill is my local cloth diaper shop and the first I ever set foot in!

Please share the GoFund me if you aren’t able to contribute. Thank you for your support!

Edit: First I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support. Second I want to apologize if the above was abrupt or unclear. I wrote it quickly while still reeling from the news. Lastly, I want to mention that while I asked Amii’s permission before doing this, she didn’t ask for help. This was my idea. UOTH is an extremely small store and it isn’t exactly bringing in big bucks. It is the main source of income for the Fritz family and while they have two part time employees, (like many small businesses) Amii is the one in the store the majority of the time. This is why I mentioned above the idea of being able to have someone else in the store while she’s unable to be there. It’s not uncommon to have days where sales don’t cover the cost of part time employees and being a new store, profits are far from large. I’m trying to let the optimist in me overrule the part of me that is hurt by the few negative comments I’ve seen. Thank you again for the thoughts, prayers and support.

Edit 2: Baby Fritz has a name! Oliver Garnet Fritz. If they make it one week without a brain bleed they will be able to hold their little boy for the first time and practice kangaroo care. That is the big goal right now!

Edit 3: 1/4/15 – Oliver received colostrum in a feeding tube this morning! He is at risk for meningitis because his birth was too fast for the antibiotics (group B strep) to take effect. So far he looks OK. Amii is pumping every 2 hours and is understandably exhausted, but hanging in there!

Many people have asked for Amii’s address to send cards, well wishes etc. You may mail/ship items to:

Amii Fritz
Up On the Hill
121 West German St Unit 1
PO Box 1769
Shepherdstown, WV 25443

Please note: USPS mail & packages can only be sent to the PO Box. UPS & Fed Ex items go to the street address.

Edit 4: 1/5/15 – Oliver is working on opening his eyes!

micro preemie opening his eyes

Edit 5: 1/6/15 Amii was able to kangaroo Oliver for the first time!

micropreemie kangaroo care

Edit 6: 1/7/15 – Oliver has been extubated & is on a CPAP SiPAP (a step down from the ventilator). Fingers crossed he can remain using just the CPAP SiPAP!

Micropreemie on CPAP

Edit 7: 1/8/15 – Oliver snuggled with Daddy today and Mom & Dad heard Oliver cry for the first time without being intubated. No one wants to hear their baby cry but it was a nice change.

I made a mistake yesterday – Oliver isn’t on a CPAP (pressure only) it is a SiPAP (provides breaths). Still a great improvement!

micropreemie kangaroo care with dad

Edit 8: 1/9/15 – Good news/bad news

Oliver is 1 week old and 1 lb 11 oz today. His PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) is now almost closed (good news) and they are attempting to back the siPAP from 20 to 10 breaths later today. (Also good news.)

The bad news is that a brain scan today showed a very small hemorrhage that increases his risk for developmental delays, but at this point it only requires monitoring.

Overall, the doctor is “pleased as punch” with his progress!

2 week old 1 lb 11 oz micropreemie

Edit 9: 1/10/15

Oliver is on the CPAP today – he kept breathing against the SiPap so he took a huge step to the CPAP which just provides pressure & oxygen, so he is breathing on his own!! Daddy also changed his first diaper today!

dad changes first micropreemie diaper

Edit 10: 1/12/15

Oliver hasn’t had a great day. Yesterday he had to be moved back onto the SiPAP from the CPAP. His bloodwork and “spells” indicated he wasn’t quite ready for the switch. He can tire easily, and it’s a lot of hard work remembering to take breaths at his gestation. Amii is very thankful he didn’t need to be reintubated – he was very close to that.

Today he’s having too much trouble for kangaroo care. They had to increase the O2 and pressure on the SiPAP and his oxygen levels have been dropping in any position but his tummy.

Amii brought a Sarah’s Silk for him to snuggle (the texture is similar to the inside of the womb) & held it against her for the ride so it has her scent to comfort Oliver. While this really isn’t the news I wanted to share today, I’m remaining optimistic that this is just a minor setback!

micropreemie and sarahs silk

Mini update: Oliver was able to tolerate a short kangaroo care session today but he did have to be re-intubated. He is worn out trying to breathe and needs some rest.

Edit 11: 1/13/15

Oliver is very tired and a bit lethargic. He is on the ventilator but still having some desats and his blood gas isn’t great. His premature lungs are simply too immature at this point and there wasn’t enough time for the steroid shot to take effect before his birth. Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome is serious but Oliver isn’t critical right now. With preemies, that can change in an instant so the Fritz family could use your positive thoughts.

Ben Proudman has arranged a great benefit concert at the Blue Moon in Shepherdstown on Friday, February 6th. Get all the details and share with a friend.

Fritz family benefit concert

The benefit auction is growing and growing with 134 items donated!! Take a look at the list, then plan to bid when the online auction opens on 1/24.

Fritz family benefit auction

Edit 12: 1/14/15

oliver

Oliver is in critical condition. Although things have been serious since his birth, it has been much more so in the past few days.

more monitors olivers monitors where oliver hangs out

Despite being on the ventilator, Oliver’s blood gases are still not good and his resp rate is high.

diaper
feeding milk

On the plus side, Oliver’s output is so great that he’s moved up to the next size of diapers (they are still way too big but more absorbent) and he is up to 2 lb 1 oz. There is still a lot of up & down and there’s really no way to know what the next hours hold, let alone the future.

Mini update: X-rays are showing haziness in Oliver’s lungs, which could be inflammation or fluid. They have called in an endocrinologist because blood tests have shown an impairment with his adrenal gland. More tests are needed to see if he’s low on cortisol; if so he will be given steroids which may help the lungs if it’s inflammation. Another reason he may not be doing well is the PDA can re-open, so they will be checking on that today too. With the increased need for bloodwork they will probably put in another arterial line. Any new procedure like that is of course an infection risk, but in this case, especially for a more accurate blood gas it is warranted. They want to see slow progress in the next few days. Oliver’s throat culture also came back positive for yeast so they want to make sure it’s not in his blood stream.

Edit 13: 1/15/15

Oliver is on an oscillating ventilator. Waiting on lots of test results today.

13 day old micropreemie

Edit 14: 1/16/15

Oliver is 2 weeks old today and weighs 2 lb 1 oz. He’s been having lots of desats (normal for a preemie but very scary) and will be on the oscillating ventilator for a while while he’s treated and recovers from the yeast/thrush in his airway/lungs. His blood gases have been better since being on the new vent. He’s become very “touch-me-not” and has spells when anyone touches him. That’s been so hard for Amii not to get to hold him, though sometimes a firm touch can comfort him during painful procedures.

He’s doing a bit better now that he’s had a blood transfusion. The echo showed a slight reopening of his PDA but they will just keep an eye on it for now.

2 week old 2 lb 1 oz #micropreemie #babyfritz - #oliversjourney

Edit 15: 1/18/15

Oliver’s improvements are tiny little baby steps. He still needs a lot of assistance with the ventilator and probably will for some time. His blood gases look better and he has less of a murmur which indicates his PDA is probably closing again. Today’s chest x-ray showed a bit less haziness than yesterday’s but they did have to re-do his IV and place it in his head. That looks scarier than it actually is! They may be teeny Oliver size steps but I’ll take it.

2 week old micropreemie

Edit 16: 1/20/15

Oliver had another “two steps back” day today. They are taking blood gases every 30 minutes instead of once per day and his morning blood gas showed very high CO2 levels. Being on the ventilator long term can damage his lungs but at this point he needs to be on it and has been switched to a jet ventilator. His x-ray wasn’t great today either.

Right now they plan to monitor him for a few days and if he doesn’t show improvement they will take a closer look at his PDA and treat it more aggressively. Since medication isn’t as effective at this age, surgery would be on the table in the future.

Every decision the staff makes is balanced and triple checked, with benefits and negative side effects weighed. Amii knows Oliver is in the best hands and has the best chances with the staff in the Winchester NICU. We’re all hoping for better news in the coming days.

Baby Oliver 2 weeks 4 days old

Edit 17: 1/21/15

Oliver, Amii & Guy are riding the preemie rollercoaster today. Oliver’s blood gases were getting better with the new vent this morning, they were able to bring Oliver’s O2 levels down from 55 to 32 and based on a better x-ray and stats, they think a part of his lung might be re-opening (though his PDA is still open more than they’d like). Unfortunately they rode back down the rollercoaster this afternoon as his O2 and CO2 levels worsened. Now, we just wait.

Edit 18: 1/22/15

Oliver has Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and it’s pretty serious. The staff and Amii/Guy are discussing treatment with steroids, which have significant side effects, particularly for preemies. Here are some photos from today, including one of Oliver wearing a typical newborn hat.

Oliver will be 3 weeks old tomorrow! The good news is that Amii may be able to hold him this weekend but it takes two people to do it since someone has to hold the “jet pack” from his jet ventilator.

oliver 2 weeks 6 days oliver with newborn hat

Edit 19: 1/23/15

Today is Oliver’s 3-week birthday and Amii got to hold him for the first time in about a week (Oliver loved it – no desats!) My eyes started leaking when I saw the photo – you can really see the joy on Amii’s face.

Today the discussion was transferring Oliver to UVA for surgery on his PDA. First they are trying another round of meds and IV nutrition and will re-evaluate on Monday.

mommy and oliver 3 wks old oliver snuggles

Edit 20: 1/24/15

Oliver wore his first outfit today! The Little Sprout sent Amii a cute micropreemie NICU gown. Unfortunately Oliver couldn’t keep his stats up during kangaroo care, so they had to stop within a few minutes.

Other than having trouble when they tried to kangaroo he had an OK day. Few desats, better X-ray, o2 holding fairly steady at 32 percent. He got his new IV for his meds and TPN and fingers crossed he will improve!

olivers first outfit

Edit 21: 1/25/15

Today was a terrifying one for the Fritz family and the NICU staff. When they arrived today Oliver was having a spell that turned him blue. In addition to his PDA he has had blood in his stool so they are on Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) watch. NEC is really scary, so much so that they stopped the meds for his PDA because they are contraindicated for NEC. They got home at noon & saw the big kids for a few hours before heading back. On a call with the nurse while at home, they found out his right lung just collapsed. They are trying to reinflate it and he’s back on antibiotics pending some cultures. She is so grateful for the neonatalogist who takes the time to answer questions in great detail -the staff is just amazing. Amii is trying to stay hopeful, but it just keeps going from bad to worse. She is really missing her big kids and Luna especially is really missing her. Today is the first time she got to see them since Friday and they are headed back to the hospital for the night.

Strangers have been sending her cards with their NICU stories and it is really meaningful to her to hear from people who have been in her shoes.

Edit 22: 1/28/15

The NICU staff is giving Oliver’s PDA another week before deciding whether to transfer him to UVA for surgery. They did another echo today vs. next week and are keeping a close eye on it. They are putting him back on meds for 36 hours and hoping for improvement.

They think the blood in his stool could be a milk protein allergy rather than NEC so we are hoping that is the case. No more dairy for Amii. He is still on the vent, had another blood transfusion yesterday and may have an infection (waiting on cultures).

Other than his PDA opening back up he’s holding steady. No great improvements but no huge steps back today either so that is a blessing. Amii got to sleep in her own bed last night for the first time since Friday. You never realize how much you miss your bed!!

Thank you to everyone who made the auction a success. Locals, head to the Blue Moon on 2/6 for a benefit concert!

cut paci to use with vent
oliver 3 wks 5 days oliver and daddy

Edit 23: 1/30/15

Amii & Guy leave Sunday morning for Charlottesville for Oliver’s surgery Monday. They plan to come back on Wednesday to spend time with the big kids before heading back to spend more time with Oliver. Positive thoughts for skillful surgeons and safe travels are appreciated.

Happy 4 week birthday Oliver!!

Oliver, 4 weeks old

Edit 24: 2/2/15

Oliver’s surgery has unfortunately been delayed. He experienced another collapsed lung last night and has been having heartrate decels. They did blood and urine cultures to check for infection and pending the results, the hope is that he can have the procedure done at the end of the week.

olivers blankets

Edit 25: 2/4/15

Oliver’s surgery is tentatively scheduled for 7-12 tomorrow. Amii got to hold him for about 2 hours today!

amii and oliver feb 4th oliver feb 4th

Edit 26: 2/5/15

Oliver’s surgery was this morning and he is doing well. Thank you for all the positive thoughts! Hopefully he will be able to be transferred back to Winchester next week so Amii and Guy can travel back and forth more easily and spend time with their big kids.

oliver feb 5th post surgery

Edit 27: 2/6/15

Oliver is recovering pretty well! Amii got to see his face while they adjusted his ET tube. Hooray, he has a face! 😀 They switched him to a conventional vent from a jet ventilator so that’s a great step. He is 5 weeks old today and 2 lb 8 oz!

oliver 5 weeks old oliver 2615

Edit 28: 2/8/15

Oliver is on the CPAP instead of a ventilator! Hopefully he’ll be able to tolerate the change and not take another step back. He’s showing feeding cues like sucking motions and hand to mouth which is fantastic. Amii is feeling like she, Guy and the NICU team made the right choice regarding the surgery.

5 week old micropreemie after pda surgery

Edit 29: 2/9/15

Oliver was reintubated late last night. He just wasn’t quite ready to step down to the CPAP.

The second part of this update has my blood boiling so I will keep it short. The insurance is currently refusing to transfer Oliver back to Winchester. Even if Amii & Guy were able to scrape together cash to pay for the transfer, they’d then refuse to pay for any further NICU care.

I’m typing and deleting, typing and deleting so I’ll just say please send positive thoughts for their appeal to be heard and get him back “home.”

Edit 30: 2/12/15
The request to transfer Oliver back to Winchester was denied again today. There’s another appeal in the works, but from what Amii heard from UVA, they are unlikely to budge. They are 4th on the waiting list for Ronald McDonald House. #BringOliverHome

Edit 31: 2/15/15

Oliver is off the vent and on the CPAP again and it looks like it’s going to stick this time! They did a round of low dose steroids first and it is going well. Third time’s a charm.

The bad news is that even though the resident physician (in one of the top NICUs in the country no less) says Oliver is fine to transport and UVA offered to cover the cost of transport, Coventry Care is still denying the transport back to Winchester. They claim he is “unfit for transport” which is untrue and never part of the “peer to peer” discussion. This leaves Amii 3 hours from home, paying for a hotel, her husband at home with the big kids and driving back & forth to be able to see Oliver on the weekends.

The NICU staff and UVA have done all they can and Amii is enlisting help from a local delegate and all of Oliver’s doctors to appeal yet again. If you have media contacts or anyone who could help, please let us know.

UVA is allowing Amii to try cloth diapers (hopefully it will help his contact dermatitis) and a huge thank you to Happy Heiny for sending their micropreemie diapers. UVA’s cafeteria food is also a small positive in all of this!

third times a charm with extubating

Edit 32: 2/17/15

Tomorrow there is a conference call between the resident at UVA, the insurance company and the neonatologist at Winchester Medical Center.

Amii finally received the reason for the denial. Oliver lost 70 grams last week (gained 30 back) and failed extubation (he is currently extubated and doing well.) I’ll reiterate that the physicians felt he was fine for transfer.

Amii and Guy are heading back to Charlottesville tomorrow after 2 days at home with the big kids. Fingers crossed that this conference tomorrow will go well and the insurance company will allow the transfer back to Winchester.

Edit 33: 2/19/15

The insurance company again denied the transfer back to Winchester. They claim it is because there is a chance Oliver could need surgery in the future and need to be transferred back to UVA. There has been no discussion whatsoever of future surgery between Amii and the physicians.

The WV insurance commission says the decision stands because it was a decision made between the insurance company and UVA/Winchester doctors, which isn’t true. UVA & Winchester doctors have done all they can to get Oliver transferred.

Amii needs to be close to Oliver to provide kangaroo care – it is so important to his recovery. Unfortunately it is incredibly expensive (and difficult) for Amii to be in Charlottesville.

Any well thought out letters to the insurance company, including benefits of breast milk and kangaroo care for preemies would be appreciated.

Office of Appeals Coventry Care West Virginia
Attn: Appeals – Expedited Request
500 Virginia St. East
Suite 400
Charleston, WV 25301

Edit 34: 2/26/15

Some good news today! Oliver is 3 lb 1 oz – that’s nearly double his birth weight!

He is on the nasal cannula for oxygen for 6 hours per day and may be off the CPAP soon if he continues to tolerate it well.

He’s made his first attempts at breastfeeding also. Grow, Oliver, grow!

Edit 35: 3/1/15

Awesome news today! Oliver is 3 lb 8 oz and off the CPAP! He’s on oxygen through the nasal cannula only. YAY!

oliver 8 weeks 2 days 3 lb 8 oz

Edit 36: 3/3/15

Oliver was moved to an open crib yesterday but had to move back to the incubator since he wasn’t able to regulate his temperature. His feeding tube was moved to his nose which is making it much easier for him to learn to breastfeed.

Oliver had an exam for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) today, which showed “pre-plus disease and borderline stage 3.”

They’ll be repeating the exam every Tuesday and surgery may be in the future, therefore transfer back to Winchester is out of the question.

The hospital rate they were receiving at the hotel went up about 63% which is causing them a good bit of stress. Each time they reached the top of the Ronald McDonald House waiting list, the call came on a day they were heading home to see the big kids. They’re not sure where they’ll go from here.

Oliver 3/3/15 Oliver 3/3/15

Edit 37: 3/6/15

Oliver is 9 weeks old today and 3 lb 14 oz. He is doing well on a 2 liter high flow cannula! He moved back to the 3 liter, he wasn’t quite ready.

preemie smiles

Edit 38: 3/10/15

Tomorrow Oliver will be sedated for Avastin injections to treat his Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which has progressed aggressively. This will possibly be followed by laser surgery in 2-3 weeks and after he’s discharged from the NICU he will need to return to UVA for checkups every 2 weeks.

Positive thoughts for steady surgeon’s hands and a good outcome for Oliver’s vision are appreciated!

Edit 39: 3/11/15

Oliver’s procedure went well and he’s resting comfortably in a crib!

oliver post surgery

Edit 40: 3/19/15

Oliver had a rough day today. He had a choking episode at his noon feeding and had many bradycardia & desaturation incidents. He had two episodes where he turned blue and had to be turned upside down and given back thrusts

He’s been moved up to a 3L cannula and his CBC didn’t show infection. He’ll most likely have a chest x-ray tomorrow to check for aspiration or a collapsed lung.

On the upside, the NICU okayed using cloth diapers while Amii is there! A big thank you to Happy Heiny for sending some of their micropreemie diapers. Up On The Hill is now carrying the HH line so look for them soon. 🙂

Oliver 10 wks 6 days Oliver's future in cloth diaper modeling is shaky

Update 41: 3/21/15

Baby steps! Oliver moved back to a 2L flow on his cannula!

Oliver 11 weeks 1 day in @kangacare @rumparooz #clothdiapers

Update 42: 3/22/15

Oliver had his first bath today & has broken the 5 lb mark!

first bath

Edit 43: 4/1/15

This is not an April Fool’s joke! After a caffeine check, the countdown to Oliver’s homecoming will begin tomorrow!

Oliver is off the nasal cannula, off the ng tube, and tentatively may be able to go home on April 10th. He has to go 8 days with no apnea or bradycardia episodes and then Amii & Guy will need to do a 24 hour room-in the day before.

Cheering for Oliver!!

Not April Fools

Edit 44: 4/2/15

Oliver’s “countdown” wasn’t able to start yet because his caffeine level was too high. (Which is OK because he had episodes today that could have restarted the countdown anyway!)

The countdown is set to start on Saturday, and his hernia surgery is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.

If he can go 8 days with NO apnea/bradycardia episodes, he could potentially be home by his due date!

Oliver 3 days vs 3 months

Edit 45: 4/3/15

Celebration yesterday was a bit premature. Eating & breathing on his own for 3 days has worn Oliver out. He’s back on the cannula and having a hard time with bradycardia episodes with eating and reflux. This may postpone his countdown.

On the positive side, Oliver passed his hearing test!

Week 13

Edit 45: 4/5/15

Oliver is still very tired. He’s losing weight and his temperature is low. They are moving him back to a milestone 2 feeder so his NG tube will go back in. He needs to rest up for his surgery on Wednesday. They did a CBC and blood gas today and the blood gas came back OK.

Oliver 4:5:15

Edit 46: 4/7/15

Oliver’s hernia surgery is scheduled for around 11 AM tomorrow. Please send positive thoughts for skillful surgeon’s hands and a peaceful recovery.

Swaddling Skills Need Improvement

Amii needs to work on her swaddling skills. Swaddling ninja you are not. Sorry Amii. 😉

Edit 47: 4/8/15

Oliver made it through his surgery and is recovering. He is having lots of bradycardia and apnea episodes and will likely move back up to a high flow cannula. He needs to recover from surgery and make some improvements on feeding, then the team will discuss another countdown to heading home.

oliver post surgery oliver recovering

Edit 48: 4/13/15

Today was Oliver’s due date – he is 14 weeks 3 days old. If all goes well, he will hopefully be home within a week!

oliver on his due date

Edit 49: 4/14/15

Good news, Oliver passed his car seat test. His “countdown” did start over today so hopefully he’ll be looking at heading home in 8 more days!

Oliver 4 14 oliver on 4 14

Edit 50: 4/17/15

Oliver has a new tentative discharge date for the middle of next week. He has blown his countdown several times, so they have put him back on a daily dose of caffeine.

He will go home with an O2 tank, pulse ox monitor and apnea monitor. It’s like the Fritz family will have their own little NICU!

They are very excited to be nearing the end of their NICU journey, and a bit overwhelmed going home with a baby with SO many medical needs. Amii & Guy are trying to take a deep breath, and take Oliver’s care one day at a time.

Almost 15 weeks old having some quiet alert time!

Edit 51: 4/22/15

It’s one small step for Oliver but one giant leap into totally uncharted territory for the Fritz family. After the most nerve wracking car ride of their lives, Oliver and Guy finally brought Oliver home today.

The coming months and years hold many unknowns but they know it comes with multiple monitors, lots of anxiety and many, many specialist visits.

Here’s to an exciting, if a bit terrifying new adventure!

Oliver getting ready to go home after 110 days in the NICU oliver is home

Amii has taken over new updates here. Subscribe to updates there for all the latest scoop on Oliver. 🙂


Share on Pinterest
 
Maria
Maria is an aspiring "fit mom" of 3 children, writing about cloth diapers, going green, and her life as a single mom. Maria works with many companies within the cloth diaper industry and beyond, providing social media management, product development, and other services.
41 Comments
  • Luna Fritz
    February 14, 2024 at 12:49 am
    Reply

    HI it is me Luna i am Oliver’s big sister he is doing great and is getting smarter every day!

  • Kristi Norris
    January 24, 2017 at 12:01 pm
    Reply

    It’s there an update (I know it’s been a very long time) as the page linked above does not work. Thanks

  • January 14, 2017 at 8:10 pm
    Reply

    […] Oliver at about 4-4.5 lbs in the size […]

  • May 18, 2015 at 9:01 am
    Reply

    […] tried this on Oliver (born at 25 wks/1 lb 9 oz) when he was about 17/18 weeks old and just under 7 […]

  • May 9, 2015 at 9:39 pm
    Reply

    […] Bottoms Born Smart Newborn AIO without insert on 16 week old (2 weeks adjusted) micropreemie, about 6.5 […]

  • March 23, 2015 at 9:05 pm
    Reply

    […] you been following Baby Oliver’s story? Oliver, born at 25 weeks/1 lb 9 oz, is now 11 weeks old and just broke the 5 lb mark. Doctors are […]

  • Jamie Hammel
    March 23, 2015 at 7:29 pm
    Reply

    He looks like he is making great improvements and growing!

  • Janna Law
    March 21, 2015 at 2:18 am
    Reply

    I will be praying for baby Oliver and family.

  • March 20, 2015 at 7:05 am
    Reply

    […] of cloth diapering a preemie. Jen was a huge support when Up On The Hill‘s baby Oliver was born at 25 weeks and 1 lb 9 oz on January 2nd this year, and Ryan’s successes gave us hope for Oliver. Now that tiny 25 […]

  • Gina
    March 5, 2015 at 4:04 am
    Reply

    Hi Maria,

    I just read that unfortunately Oliver has to stay in Charlottesville for a while…. are you sure Amii doesn’t want to check out the Airbnb accommodation that offered her a free room from the couple that also work at the hospital? She may hate the room, but if she wants to at least meet them and see the room, I can give you their contact information. They might not be able to offer her the room seven days a week but said they can on any night that there isn’t a booking, which in these still wintry weeks could be a bunch of nights in a row. Gina

    • March 5, 2015 at 8:07 am
      Reply

      I sent the info to her, I’m sure she will pursue it if she decides it fits their needs!

  • Jamie Hammel
    February 11, 2015 at 3:49 pm
    Reply

    How in the world can an insurance deny care in a situation like this???? I hope they are fighting that!!

    • February 11, 2015 at 4:55 pm
      Reply

      To them it’s just a lateral transfer with no medical benefit. I suppose they haven’t read a single study on the benefits of kangaroo care & breastfeeding for micropreemies.

  • Cathy Jarolin
    January 24, 2015 at 7:22 pm
    Reply

    My Prayers and thoughts are going out to Little Oliver and his Family. God bless You and your Fund Raisng Efforts to Help this Lovely Family. I will keep sharing the Fund Raiser. Thankyou so much for Keeping us updated~~

  • January 19, 2015 at 9:00 am
    Reply

    […] Oliver’s story as well as updates on his journey, and/or contribute to the Fritz family […]

  • Beth R
    January 14, 2015 at 10:34 am
    Reply

    I haven’t be online much lately and am just now seeing this. I will share with as many people as possible. I also had a baby born early and it is so hard not being able to protect them like you want. Sending many prayers and love for their family.

  • January 6, 2015 at 10:12 am
    Reply

    […] local moms got together to organize a benefit auction for 1 lb 9 oz micro-preemie Oliver Fritz, son of Up On the Hill owner Amii Fritz. Though the other moms have done the bulk of […]

  • Janett Jenna'sMommy
    January 5, 2015 at 1:25 am
    Reply

    Our little Jenna was born at 26 weeks and also weighed 1lb 9 oz. She is 5 years old now, and doing great. She was dismissed from premie follow ups at 9 months. Sending love to the Fritz family, but wanted to share a success sorry to lift their spirits! Miracles happen everyday!

  • January 4, 2015 at 10:25 pm
    Reply

    Praying for them all. May Gods blessings rain down upon them! Children having medical issues is beyond comprehension unless you have really been there. Keep up the good work.

  • Malena
    January 4, 2015 at 12:43 pm
    Reply

    Her name auto-corrected; sorry for that (It’s Amii, not Aimee)

  • Maleña
    January 4, 2015 at 4:28 am
    Reply

    Google Gabor Mate on touch; ESP when born this early. A couple in Canada read his work after having their daughter just under 2lbs &
    Had lots of touch & she is healthy now years later.

    Also, a friend of ours here had a baby this early & she is now 2 & healthy as ever! I hope these can be some words of encouragement.

    Aimee is super sweet & I just can’t even imagine! Sending lots of lots of love & comfort & a donation. Thank you for setting this up for Aimee, Olover & Fam.

  • Courtney
    January 4, 2015 at 12:28 am
    Reply

    Praying for this little guy!

  • Nicole
    January 3, 2015 at 7:56 pm
    Reply

    Praying for little baby Oliver! (LOVE his nam btw, just named our 3rd Oliver in October). Stay strong Mom & family!

  • Jami
    January 3, 2015 at 6:56 pm
    Reply

    Lots of love from central TX! Can’t wait to hear the good news of him being on mommy’s chest for the first time!! Praying and believing in God’s blessings! <3

  • Courtney Matheny
    January 3, 2015 at 12:27 pm
    Reply

    I had my youngest at the same gestational age. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. He was 1lb 11 oz. so tiny, but after 9 long weeks we took him home. Now he is a big ole ball of baby fun and happiness. He just turned 1. I know it’s hard. Just remember to talk to him. Every day is a blessing no matter how hard.

  • mary beth kilmer
    January 3, 2015 at 8:17 am
    Reply

    i can work at the store on weekends if that would help just give me a call 304 270 7408 mb

  • Crystal
    January 3, 2015 at 2:32 am
    Reply

    Shared and praying for that sweet Baby!!!

  • January 2, 2015 at 10:02 pm
    Reply

    Shared on my personal page, and when I have time to get on my laptop, I’ll post on my fan pages. My heart goes out to this family.

  • Martha
    January 2, 2015 at 5:05 pm
    Reply

    Thoughts and prayers.

  • RJ
    January 2, 2015 at 2:07 pm
    Reply

    Praying the Lord will bless that baby and keep him safe. My thoughts and prayers for the family.

  • Monique Eckert
    January 2, 2015 at 1:58 pm
    Reply

    Prayers for their family. I am also due with my third in April, I cannot imagine baby arriving so early.

  • January 2, 2015 at 1:21 pm
    Reply

    Shared on my biz page, too. Time to rally!

  • January 2, 2015 at 1:18 pm
    Reply

    Oh, no! Sending lots of good thoughts to this family and their little.

  • Jessica O
    January 2, 2015 at 1:02 pm
    Reply

    Lots of prayers being sent to this family and sweet baby!!

  • Paige
    January 2, 2015 at 12:13 pm
    Reply

    Thank you for setting this up for such a wonderful family <3

Leave Your Comment

Your Comment*

Your Name*
Your Webpage