YOUNGSTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Youngstown family is reaching out to their Western New York community for support after what began as a celebratory weekend trip to New York City turned into a medical emergency.
Laura Chouinard, who is 25 weeks pregnant, experienced her water breaking unexpectedly while visiting the city for a combined birthday and Father's Day celebration with her husband Andrew. She is now on bed rest at a Brooklyn hospital, fighting to keep her baby inside for as long as possible.
"It was a really scary situation. It's still a very scary situation. It was really terrifying in the moment," Andrew Chouinard recalled.
The couple's weekend plans quickly shifted to a medical emergency when they realized something was wrong.
"We rushed to the emergency room. We took an Uber. My vehicle was in a parking garage," he said.
Doctors at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital confirmed Laura's water had broken, a shocking development for the family who had experienced a normal pregnancy up to that point.
"Everything's been on track. We've been really good. The doctor said that there was nothing that could have caused this, and they don't really know why these things happen, it just happened," Andrew said.
The situation has forced the family apart at a critical time. Andrew has returned to Western New York to care for their oldest son, Theoden, who has high support needs, while Laura remains hospitalized in Brooklyn.
"That's what hurts my heart the most is that she's alone with this," Andrew said. He shared there is a relative who lives in the city and is doing her best to care for Laura while Andrew is here in WNY.
The separation is just one of many challenges the family now faces. Medical professionals are hoping Laura can maintain the pregnancy until 34 weeks, but the baby could arrive at any moment.
"The babies could come tomorrow, could come tonight. It just depends on how frequent those contractions are," Andrew explained.
Once the baby boy is born, he will require an extended stay in the NICU, creating additional logistical and financial challenges for the family.
"She's there as a patient right now. They're trying to keep baby there, you know, inside, but then once she has baby, then she's only there for four days and then she has to visit the hospital," Andrew said. "Because they're going keep the baby no matter what in the NICU."
In response to the family's situation, friends have created a GoFundMe campaign to help with mounting expenses from the extended hospital stay and potential missed work.
"Which was amazing and it's been shared and so many people have reached out, which has been incredible," Andrew said.
As neighbors helping neighbors, we're sharing the Chouinard family's story to connect them with the support they need during this challenging time. The link to their GoFundMe can be found here.
