EVA, Ala. – Elijah Steffen will soon be going home after more than a year in the hospital. The “miracle baby” was born Dec. 2, 2021. His mother, Kelsey Steffen, said he is currently at Children’s of Alabama, and the family is preparing their home for his arrival.
“We are from Eva, but since he was born, he has been in three different hospitals – that’s all he has known,” she said. “He has chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. So far this is all we know with his development.”
According to his family, baby Elijah was born at just 24 weeks gestation, and his first breath was expected to be his last. But, they said, through the grace of God, he celebrated his first birthday this month. Doctors are talking of releasing him from the hospital, but the family’s home will need many things to accommodate his needs. Major necessities include a full-house generator, a heat and moisture exchange (HME) system, specially designed chairs, wagons, tracheostomy equipment and health care supplies.
Kelsey Steffen said the family of four is excited about celebrating baby Elijah’s first birthday at home.
“Elijah has an older sister, Nyla, who is 5 years old,” Steffen said. “My husband is John. We got married this year, on March 25. We are waiting for our baby boy to come home to celebrate.”
Steffen said the family is thankful for the support they have received so far and asked the community to please then keep them in your prayers.
“We are extremely excited to get Elijah home and we are almost to the finish line,” Steffen said. “With the expenses we are already facing with living an hour from the hospital, it has taken a toll on us financially. There will be bigger challenges we will face with his medical equipment plus the necessities: diapers, formula, clothing. We give God all the glory for His love over our family and blessing us with our little miracle.”
A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of the family at www.gofundme.com/f/raising-a-miracle-is-expensive-but-so-worth-it.
