Harper and Charlie Gandy

Harper was born to Charlie and Brittany Gandy on September 10, 2020. They stayed with Red Mountain Grace as guests.

Harper was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) on May 19th, 22 weeks in utero. If she survived her delivery date, she would immediately be placed on a ventilator and taken to the NICU.

"Brittney and I were devastated, but we trusted in God and knew He had plans for Harper. We had to choose to deliver Harper either at Vanderbilt or UAB. With Brittney working at Huntsville Hospital, where all her friends work, this was another difficult decision, but all signs pointed to UAB. 

As the weeks passed and the pregnancy progressed, we approached full-term and decided to schedule an induction date. Before Covid-19, we would have met with the surgeons at Children's Hospital and given a tour to know what to expect, but that was not the case. Two weeks out from induction, we had a phone conference with the surgeon who would operate on Harper. Our surgeon told us that Harper had a 50% - 70% chance of survival after birth. 

On September 9, we arrived at UAB, and on September 10, Harper was born. When she entered the world, she was intubated and transferred to Children's Hospital. A few days later, Harper had surgery to repair her little body. We knew the road to recovery would be challenging if she survived. 

We moved into our Red Mountain Grace apartment, where we were able to find respite. I can't tell you how it felt to sit and have a cup of coffee in our own space each morning before starting a new day at the hospital. Friends and family could visit us in our own living space; we could cook meals instead of eating out and wash our clothes. Having this space allowed us to continue to live while we helped our little girl fight for her life.

Harper finally left Children's Hospital in November last year. Thanks to the excellent medical care she received in Birmingham, and the hospitality showed through Red Mountain Grace, we are now at home growing and thriving."