15 Nov The Teems Family: Finding Strength in Difficult Times

Abby Teems went to her 15-week checkup expecting to have a typical sonogram appointment. She hoped to get updated pictures to share for their baby announcement. But, it did not go as expected.

That day, Abby learned that their unborn child’s organs were growing outside of his body. Following the appointment and for the remainder of her pregnancy, Abby and the baby were monitored weekly. “When you find out you’re pregnant, you don’t think anything like this could happen to you,” said Abby.

Abby and her husband, Chayson, didn’t know what to expect, but they did know their son would need immediate medical attention when he was born.

Carver Teems was born with an omphalocele, a rare congenital condition. Just moments after birth, he was transferred from Kennestone Hospital to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for lifesaving surgery and care.

Abby and Chayson stayed at the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House after Carver’s birth. Staying at the House alleviated the worry of figuring out where they were going to sleep and allowed them to be close to Carver during his hospitalization. Without the House, they would have had a daily drive of more than four hours from their hometown. Their 5-minute proximity from the House to the hospital proved to be especially important as Carver’s condition deteriorated several times, rushing them to his bedside in the middle of the night.

“We were at the hospital with Carver for 12 hours a day. We would literally leave the House when the sun was coming up and come back to go to sleep when the sun was going down,” said Abby.

“The next three months were the most stressful of our lives. But staying at the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House gave us so much comfort. It also lifted the tremendous financial burden of finding a hotel room or renting temporary housing in Atlanta.” While Carver was still in the hospital, Abby and Chayson celebrated their first Mother’s Day and Father’s Day at the House. Although it was not how they imagined, they felt loved and appreciated with gift bags put together by volunteers.

“The staff is terrific,” said Chayson. “They are so caring and compassionate and one step ahead of us, always anticipating our needs. They also made connections for us at the hospital, saving us so much time and making us feel relieved and supported. We couldn’t have made it through such a challenging time without the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House and the amazing staff.” Both Abby and Chayson will always be grateful for the House.

Abby also found comfort, strength, and community among the other families at the house. “Just knowing that so many others were dealing with similar situations really helped us keep pushing forward every day. We all connected in a silent but emotional way. There’s just no place like the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House.”

After three long and very emotional months, the Teems family was finally able to take Carver home.  He’s now six months old and has made tremendous improvements.  Carver continues to get stronger every day, and doctors hope to remove his feeding tube soon. Although Carver will require follow-up surgery in the future, the Teems family knows they will be able to return to the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House once again.