The loss of a child is an unimaginable pain. It is one that Randy Rogers and his wife all too well. Randy Rogers is finally speaking out about his family’s tragedy.
It was June 3rd when fans were congratulating the couple on the birth of their daughter, Rumer Rain. Then, 6 days later we were sending our condolences to the couple.
Randy spoke with People Magazine to share what happened to the couple’s daughter and what they plan for the future.
Randy said at first they thought the baby was healthy. It wasn’t soon after that they noticed something wasn’t right. Rumer wouldn’t wake up and wouldn’t eat. Then just 8 hours after birth Rumer was admitted to the NICU.
At first the tests were all normal. Randy told People, “It was a six-day process. It was heart-wrenching and grueling not knowing what was wrong. She was put on a feeding tube pretty early on because she couldn’t eat or swallow, then she decided to stop breathing and we had to put her on a vent.”
Finally, the doctors had a diagnosis. Rumer had Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia or NKH. It’s a rare genetic disorder in which the body is not able to break down certain building blocks of protein, which leads to high levels of amino acidglycine in the body. It causes lethargy, feeding difficulties, weak muscle tone, seizures, and breathing problems.
Turns out Randy and his wife both carry the recessive gene that causes the disorder. However, that isn’t going to stop the couple from trying for more children. In fact, it’ll just change the way they do it.
“We’ll just have to do in vitro fertilization. There will need to be genetic screening and genetic testing done before the implantation of the fertilized egg.”
Through all of this, Randy has also found a cause to get behind. Randy has teamed up with the Seton Medical Center in Austin to create a fund to create special “home-like” nesting suites for families of babies being cared for in the NICU. “This is something every hospital in the country should have, an amazing system of support set up for parents caring for a sick child, and it’s something Chelsea and I have become very passionate about.”
God bless Randy and his family during this difficult time and for their support for other families.
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