A Joyful Beginning Turns Uncertain
When Genesis Williams and Donavan Griffiths learned they were expecting their first child, everything seemed to be going smoothly. They were living in Minot, North Dakota, where Donavan was stationed with the Air Force, and Genesis was keeping up with her appointments and regular scans.
At their 20‑week ultrasound, the first concerns appeared. The scan showed that baby Emmionna had club feet. Soon after, the doctor called again with more findings. There was a cyst in her frontal lobe. There were questions about Down syndrome. Genesis was sent to a high‑risk specialist two hours away for more scans and genetic testing.
At 22 weeks, she received the news no parent is prepared for. Emmi had Trisomy 18.
Genesis remembers the moment clearly. The shock. The nausea. The tears. The feeling that everything had changed. But she also knew one thing with certainty. She wanted to meet her daughter.
“Even if I see her for five hours, five days, five years, I will be content,” she said.
The months that followed were filled with appointments, new complications and constant worry. There were issues with Emmi’s umbilical cord. More scans. More unknowns. Genesis felt defeated, worn down by bad news arriving again and again.
She called her grandmother in Colorado, who immediately began searching for help. That search led them to the Colorado Fetal Care Center, a place known for treating the most complex pregnancies. Genesis and Donavan drove all the way from North Dakota to get there, hoping for answers and a plan.
A New Challenge: No Place to Stay
Being in Colorado brought new challenges. Their family lived nearby, but no one had space for them to stay long. For the first couple of weeks, Genesis slept on her grandmother’s couch while traveling back and forth for appointments. Money was running out. Donavan was still in North Dakota working, thirteen hours away. They were exhausted and unsure how they would manage.
Then the social worker at Children’s Hospital Colorado told them about Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver.
Two months after that fateful ultrasound, Genesis moved into the Aurora House on October 10. It was only minutes from her appointments and close enough to family for support. She could take the shuttle to the hospital. She could rest. She could heal.
“Thankfully we have the support of RMHC-Denver,” she said. “We would be in a terrible position without it.”
Emmi’s Early Arrival
Two months before her due date, Emmi arrived. She weighed just 2 pounds, 3 ounces. The delivery was difficult, and Genesis recovered from her C‑section at the Aurora House while Emmi received care in the NICU at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Emmi faced blood flow issues, a hole in her heart and the strain caused by early labor. Every day brought new challenges, but also new signs of her strength.
A Community That Understands
At RMHC‑Denver, Genesis found more than a room. She found warm meals waiting when she was too tired to cook. She found rides to and from the hospital. She found a community of parents who understood the fear and hope that come with having a child in the NICU.
She connected with another mom who became a lifeline. They talked about what it means to learn how to parent at a hospital bedside, surrounded by monitors and medical teams. They shared the unique weight of being first‑time parents in a world that looks nothing like what they imagined.
“The community and the activities really helped me, especially when I was alone,” Genesis said.
She also found comfort in the therapy dogs who visit the House, especially since she has not been able to see her own dog, who is staying with family while she spends long hours at the hospital.
Looking Ahead with Hope
Today, Emmi is still in the NICU, and the future holds many unknowns. Genesis and Donavan do not yet know when they will be able to bring her home. Donavan finishes his service on April 5, and they are both excited and nervous about what comes next. They hope to find a place of their own in Denver, where they can stay close to the hospital and to one another.
Through every twist and turn, RMHC‑Denver has been a steady source of comfort, stability and community.
“It is such a blessing,” Genesis said. “Imagine having to pay for a place to stay, going to the hospital every day, trying to heal, trying to keep going. I wish I could write a book about how much this place has helped us.”
For now, this is just the beginning of Emmi’s story and the story of a family holding onto hope, together.
