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Baby battling lung disease gets photoshoot at Children's Hospital
Tyler and Christina Bauman welcomed their daughter, Emersyn, into the world on Aug. 19, 2024, at Children’s Minnesota in St. Paul. A year later, Emersyn is still in the hospital where she was born.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Tyler and Christina Bauman welcomed their daughter, Emersyn, into the world on Aug. 19, 2024, at Children’s Minnesota in St. Paul. A year later, Emersyn is still in the hospital where she was born.
One day, Tyler was scrolling on social media looking at TikTok videos when he came across Sarah McCarty.
Photographer finds Bauman family
Sarah posted, "Hey there! I’m a Massachusetts photographer and I’m making my way to Minnesota! Looking for a couple to photograph in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Free photographs for your time."
What we know:
Sarah received 900 messages from people across the state, but the one message that caught her attention the most came from Tyler, who told Sarah about his daughter and their hospital stay.
Sarah photographed the Bauman’s for free and even found a Minnesota hairstylist who also styled Christina for free.
Emersyn’s parents have been celebrating milestones her entire life. The new one? A release date from the hospital.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Why you should care:
Children’s Minnesota has been home for Emersyn since she was born. She spent seven months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and has spent at least four months in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Emersyn had severe growth restriction in the womb and was born prematurely, weighing 14 ounces.
She has Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, also known as BPD, a chronic lung disease.
"Right now, what’s keeping her here is the need for the additional support for breathing," Tyler said.
Emersyn has a trach to help with that.
"I’m always like oh she smiled today," Christina said. "Her smiling right now is a huge milestone."
The Bauman family captures their own memories with their cellphones, but unlike many families that welcome a new baby, they haven’t been able to take professional photos.
One day, Tyler had been scrolling social media when he saw the TikTok video posted by photographer Sarah McCarty.
The two organized a date for the photoshoot but it didn’t end there.
As a former teacher, Sarah was touched by the Bauman’s story and she wanted to do more. So, she hopped on TikTok again to post another video.
"There would be no better way to celebrate than to donate a free hair or makeup session," Sarah said in her video. "I’m so hopeful that we can find somebody to help with this because they deserve it."
Thankfully, she was able to connect with hairstylist Emily Schroeder.
"This is everything I’ve wanted to be able to do with my career," Emily said. "Giving back is very important to me."
Ironically, Emily had just posted her own TikTok video, wanting to do something different.
Her video post said, "Attention Minnesota! Looking for a fun opportunity? I’m seeking clients willing to have their appointment filmed or be in some content video!"
Tyler saw Emily’s video just seconds after watching Sarah’s.
Both Sarah and Emily helped create so many moments and memories the Bauman family will never forget.
"It's overwhelming but they walked in and it was just like, all right, let's go to work," Christina said. "It was just a moment and it was time with her that Sarah will probably never realize how special it was."
The start of a long journey
Dig deeper:
Christina Bauman knew Emersyn was growing slower than expected in the womb.
Her doctor had been monitoring it. But during an ultrasound, her doctor learned Emersyn was no longer growing. So, Christina was admitted to the hospital and after tests, she found out she had high blood pressure, a symptom of preeclampsia.
"The problem was that with my high blood pressure and just other things that happened with preeclampsia, she wasn't getting much blood flow and nutrients," Christina said. "That’s what was causing the growth restriction. And ultimately, what they were monitoring was her heart rate."
After about two weeks in the hospital, Emersyn’s heart rate was extremely slow and it was time to deliver before it was too late.
"They did warn us that there could be a time where we try to listen for a heartbeat and there isn't one," Christina said as she cried. "I was just scared and I was sad. They really did kind of make us feel like she probably would not survive this so I was preparing myself for that."
Emersyn’s chances of survival were 50/50.
"She’s incredible and she is a warrior. And I mean, she proves to everyone here every day that she's going to be here. She's not going anywhere," Christina said.
What’s next?
Big picture view:
Emersyn has transitioned from the hospital ventilator to a home ventilator. She continues to improve. Doctors said she made tremendous strides in the last couple of months. She is expected to be released in early September. Her mom and dad can’t wait to bring her home.