Lacey Swan’s pregnancy had been a rocky one. During her second trimester, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia and placenta previa—conditions that are potentially dangerous for both mother and baby. On March 13, 2010, Lacey knew she was in serious trouble when she started having contractions. She was only 25 weeks pregnant.

Soon after arriving at Good Samaritan Hospital’s emergency department, she was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital, which offers the region’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Lacey’s care team agreed that her baby needed to be delivered immediately. “I was scared to death,” says Lacey, who was also diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction upon admission.

“I wondered, is she going to die? Am I going to die?”

Less than two hours later, at 1:23 a.m., Makayla Moore entered the world. She weighed just one pound one ounce and measured just over 11 inches. “Her legs were as big as my finger,” Lacey recalls. “She had the tiniest hands—the tiniest everything. Her skin was like tissue paper. And because her nervous system was so underdeveloped, even the slightest touch hurt her.” Makayla was given only a 50 percent chance of survival.

When every moment counts

Lacey, who lived in Eatonville at the time, couldn’t imagine driving back and forth to the hospital, losing precious time with her baby girl. That’s when Tree House stepped in. Located across the street from the hospital, this special place offers a second home to families with seriously ill children.

“Being able to stay at Tree House allowed me to come during all of Makayla’s care times, which were every four hours,” Lacey says. During care times, vitals are checked, diapers are changed, and parents bond with their newborns. “Any time I could spend with her was so important. I didn’t want to have any regrets.”

For the next few months, Makayla continued to fight for her life under the expert and attentive care of pediatric surgeons, neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners.

Meanwhile, Lacey continued to find comfort at Tree House. “The staff there is extremely friendly,” she says. “When they ask how your child is doing, they honestly care. It was helpful to meet other parents who were going though the same thing. Tree House truly is a place for families.”

“We do whatever we can to help,” explains Heather Courtney, Tree House Coordinator. “A lot of families are here one or two nights, but others need to stay several weeks or even several months. We really work to accommodate their needs.”

“I don’t know what I would have done without Tree House,” Lacey says. “There was no better place in the world for me. I feel truly blessed.”

Makayla was released from the hospital in mid-July, much to the delight of her parents. “She’s doing great,” Lacey says. “She’s gaining weight and definitely moving in the right direction. It’s wonderful to have her home.”

Learn more about Tree House, A Place for Families. 

Join the Tree House Club.