Skip to content

Friends and family rally to support Williams Lake New Year’s baby

The family is at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver
23868784_web1_210109-WLT-new-year-baby-gofundme-adalina_1

Support is pouring in for Williams Lake’s 2021 New Year’s baby and her family.

Adalina Evie Tutte was born at Cariboo Memorial Hospital on Jan. 1 at 5:58 a.m. to parents Laird and Hilary.

Due to complications during labour the baby went a prolonged period of time without oxygen and since then the family has been at BC Children’s Hospital receiving medical treatment for Adalina, said close friend of the couple, Alison Fraser.

Fraser said Adalina will be living with moderate brain damage as a result, which could mean that she could have a variety of disabilities, although the extent of those challenges won’t be known until she is older.

Fraser launched a GoFundMe for the family to help with the expense of staying in Vancouver, possible time away from work for the couple and for any future therapies or equipment needed for the baby. The fundraiser surpassed its goal of $5,000 within 24 hours and continues to climb. As of Saturday, Jan. 9 the total was at $5,775.

“Thank you all so much for your generosity,” Fraser noted in an update. “I truly believe that the power of family, friends and strangers who can band together to support those in their community have the ability to turn a traumatic situation into one filled with a little bit of comfort and most importantly, love and support.”

In conversation with the Williams Lake Tribune, Fraser said the family is holding up well despite the uncertainty.

“They are very hopeful and staying optimistic for the future although there’s still so much unknown at the moment,” said she, noting the baby is successfully learning how to feed and she came off of the assisted oxygen Jan. 8.

“She will be having another MRI on Tuesday and besides that, they are just taking things day-by-day.”

Fraser added Adalina is the couple’s first baby. It is not known at this time when the family can come home.

READ MORE: First baby of 2021 born at Cariboo Memorial Hospital



Do you have a comment about this story? email:
editor@wltribune.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.



Angie Mindus

About the Author: Angie Mindus

A desire to travel led me to a full-time photographer position at the Williams Lake Tribune in B.C.’s interior.
Read more