Trayce’s Story
O Warrior Stories
Written by: Cherrell Lejander
Trayce True Windham was truly my special Christmas gift. I didn’t find out I was pregnant until I was already 5 months along. Finding out was emotional for me because for a long time I thought I wasn’t going to be able to have children. So hearing that I was finally going to become a mother filled my heart with happiness and excitement.
Not long after, we received news that completely changed everything. We found out Trayce was going to be born with his liver outside of his body. I remember going home and telling his dad, and we both just cried. It was scary, unexpected, and overwhelming. Looking things up online only made our fears worse, but through it all, we prayed and kept faith in God.
My original due date was March 27th, but on March 6th I had to have an emergency C-section. Trayce was born weighing 4 pounds and 7 ounces, already showing us how strong he was from the very beginning. Shortly after birth, he was flown by helicopter to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera.
The beginning of his life was hard. Trayce was intubated and had a feeding tube while doctors worked hard to help him grow stronger every day. Slowly but surely, he began making progress. He started taking his feeds by mouth and eventually moved to high-flow oxygen. Every small step felt like a huge victory for our family.
At one point, Trayce was breathing on his own for 10 days, keeping a steady weight, and even passed his car seat challenge. We truly believed we were finally heading home. But the next day, he woke up struggling again and had to be placed back on oxygen. It was heartbreaking, but our little fighter continues to prove how strong he is every single day.
Even at only 2 months old, Trayce already has so much personality and brings so much joy into our lives. Watching him fight through every obstacle has taught me what true strength looks like. I truly believe my son will continue to push through this journey and graduate from the NICU soon.
Trayce’s story is one of strength, faith, resilience, and love. No matter how difficult this journey has been, he continues to remind us to never give up hope.
