After being placed on bed rest in the hospital for severe preeclampsia, Amber Wathen delivered her son, Rowen, at just 30 weeks.

Once Amber was discharged from the hospital, she and her husband, Abe, weren’t sure whether or not they would be able to stay close enough to the hospital to care for their 2 lb. miracle baby. Abe flew Blackhawks for the Army, and the couple lived 3 hours away on a military base. They didn’t know where to go.

Red Mountain Grace was able to step in and provide the Wathen family with an apartment.

“Red Mountain Grace was more of a blessing to our family than they will ever know. We were able to stay close to the hospital and have a home base for us and our 3-year-old son while we adjusted to our new normal.”

While Rowen was in the NICU, they found out that he had a heart condition, Long QT syndrome (LQTS). LQTS is a heart signaling disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats (arrhythmias).

"It was overwhelming, but we knew who knit him together and formed him perfectly. We knew that God went before us."

Amber is no stranger to LQTS, as she also has the same diagnosis. There was a 50/50 chance of her children inheriting the heart condition

The Wathens now have 4 children, and Rowen is the only one with LQTS. He was quite the miracle at 2 lbs. with a heart condition.

Rowen has grown into a thriving 6-year-old with a laugh that is contagious and an imagination that is a gift.

"He is our miracle boy with a strong heart and a smile you want to stare at forever. God has been with our boy since day one, and we know that He will continue to lead the way."

We are so happy Rowen is doing so well.

In 2022, Red Mountain Grace was able to serve many premature birth and heart families like the Wathens. We served 16 heart transplant recipients and 7 heart surgery families, with 1 heart transplant and 2 heart surgeries being pediatric.