Dish-Houston

The first day of Emily’s life was the last day her mother saw her.

This local story is a bittersweet, close to home, American Tragedy that has reached out to a community that, as they learn about it, is beginning to reach back with compassion, love and support.

Emily’s Mom made her living as a dental assistant. She was one of those people who lit up a room as she entered ….full of life, optimism and laughter.  Always grinning, she even worked in a place called “Made Ya Smile”. Her name was her disposition – Rosie. 

Rosie and Tony Bratton had been married for two years and planned their first born by the book. They moved out of their trailer, built a house next to Rosie’s parents and decorated the baby’s room. Friends say they never saw Rosie so excited. She would constantly talk to her almost born daughter, give blow by blow descriptions of her movements and rock her to sleep in the yet to be used nursery.

Three months after they moved into the house and less than two weeks after Rosie’s 24^th birthday, it was time to begin a new generation. The date was January 20^th and Emily was on the way. There were some complications and the newest Bratton entered the world with the help of a C-Section. Soon the baby was brought to Mom and Dad for the traditional first family picture. Smiles lit the room brighter than the camera flash and for the Brattons, the American dream was about to begin.

The nurse took Emily from her mother’s arms in order to clean the child and when she returned to the room, Rosie was suffering the first of two heart stopping strokes that left her in a deep coma. She never saw her cherished child again. She had fallen victim to Amniotic Fluid Embolism, fluid from the baby enters the mother’s bloodstream and blocks the heart. The odds of this happening are over one in twenty thousand. Today Rosie is in a semi-coma state, still not able to speak or communicate. Part of her brain has died. Now, she is the one taking baby steps.

Rosie and her family need help. The little medical insurance the couple had purchased is about to run out. Hospital bills are mounting. Now there’s child care and only one income. Tony, a youth minister at church, continues to work at a T Shirt company and has been living in Needville with his tiny daughter at his in-law’s place, next door to their empty house full of promises and dreams.

As the story circulates, friends, co-workers and organizations are stepping up to support the Brattons. A website (prayforrosie.com) has been created to encourage the family, feature updates from Tony about his wife’s condition and to let the Houston area know about a fundraiser for Emily’s Mom.

A Benefit for Emily’s Mom happened over the weekend but they still need our love and support. Houston, take this opportinuty to help these wonderful and deserving people. You will be blessed for it! For more information visit prayforrosie.com or call Christy Kroboth at 832-282-5782