Yahoo Sports Indiana Parents Throw Sweet Celebration for Baby Girl After She Spends 100 Days in the NICU
Riley Children’s Health
Two Indiana parents celebrated a major milestone for their daughter who has spent more than 100 days in the NICU.
Tyler and Lindsay Staup's daughter Everly was born on March 21 and has been in the NICU at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health ever since. So when her 100th day in the unit arrived on June 29, Tyler and Lindsay, who are both teachers, decided to make it extra special.
Getting inspiration from the 100th-day festivities at their respective schools, the pair threw their own party for baby Everly in her Indianapolis, Indiana, hospital room, they told Good Morning America in a feature published Wednesday.
"We thought we could tie in the tradition inside the NICU just to make it fun and joyful," Lindsay told the outlet. "We were like, we had to do something fun, to just bring joy and create memories with her."
Riley Children’s Health
Everly's look was fit for a princess. She donned a onesie that read, "Hip Hop Hooray, It's the 100th Day," complete with a yellow tutu skirt and a glittery crown that had a bold "100" on it.
Lindsay and Tyler, 28, were in proud-parent mode as they wore shirts that matched Everly's onesie, and the hospital staff ensured the celebration was "really special," Lindsay said.
Riley Children’s Health
"We had a big ol' photo shoot. My mom was the one who designed her onesie," Lindsay said. "She also designed us shirts and then we got balloons and we found this little 100-day crown. ... We made it fit for her head and everything."
Describing the medical team at Riley as "the best," Tyler added, "We've loved all of them that we've had, and I'd say that they make us feel so welcome and they care for us and they care for our daughter, and it's just great to know, even when we're not here, that she's in wonderful hands because of the work that they do here."
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Lindsay told GMA that they're looking forward to sharing the moment with Everly when she's older: "We can't wait to show her these pictures one day."
After being born at 28 weeks, Everly was diagnosed with duodenal atresia, which blocks a portion of the small intestine. She has also faced chronic lung disease as a result of being born premature, per GMA.
Riley Children’s Health
Tyler shared her story on Instagram back in April. He posted a photo of himself smiling next to Everly's bed and wrote in the caption that she needed surgery to "repair her digestive track just two days after she was born," causing her to "have an extended stay" at the hospital.
Lindsay shared an update on Tuesday with an adorable Instagram snap of the 4-month-old, joking with her supporters that Everly weighs 11 pounds "thanks to that double chin" and is "really starting to show her little personality."
Riley Children’s Health
A post on Everly's official Instagram shared on Wednesday said that she's scheduled for her last surgery on Thursday, which will repair the blocked intestine.
"Everly is very feisty and she's a strong little girl," her father told GMA. "She's been through six surgeries already in just over 100 days and she's made it through all of them. And we'll say that, you know, I don't know if us personally could have made it through. And she's shown her strength in so many big ways and we're just proud to be her parents because of all she's accomplished."
