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Born at Magee &
Transferred to CHP’s CICU

Abby Joy was born August 19, 2021 at Magee Women’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. During pregnancy she was found to have a heart condition and possibly some brain issues, so she was immediately transferred to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Cardiac ICU.

3D ultrasound image of a developing fetus inside the womb

Light blue cartoon cloud on a black background.

Light blue cartoon cloud shape on black background.

The team thought she may need open heart surgery from her original diagnosis, but we were overjoyed when it was not needed. Later that week she had an unexpected cardiac arrest when extubating her was attempted, but thankfully she was resuscitated.

Close-up of a premature newborn baby inside an incubator with medical monitoring and multiple wires and tubes wrapped around the baby.

Light blue cloud graphic on a black background.

Even though her Mama (and Papa) were in the room at the time of the emergency, God gave her mom a sense of peace that God wouldn’t save her from heart surgery only to have her pass away from a cardiac arrest. Receiving peace from the Lord during unbelievable circumstances is a theme that would happen many times throughout her life. The next day she was transferred up to the Level 4 NICU to work through other issues.

A man wearing glasses and a face mask tending to a neonate baby in an incubator in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit.

There is a beautiful program called ‘Beads of Courage’ that children with long hospital stays or complex conditions can participate in. A bead can be earned through every needle poke, scan, surgery, etc. It is a visual way a child can later remember and retell the details of their bravery. Please share about this program with families you may know that would have a child who is eligible.  

Abby Joy’s bead journey has three phases: NICU, Oncology, and final ICU stay which can be viewed in detail in the image. She only collected beads during in-patient stays (not clinic visits, scan days, etc.) The length of her combined strands is over 25 feet (and each glass bead is less than 1 cm). Abby Joy’s beads have been used to tell her testimony, to decorate a Christmas tree and were displayed at her celebration of life service.

A colorful infographic titled 'Abby Joy's Journey' with three sections: NICU Daily Bead Prescription, Hematology/Oncology Daily Bead Prescription, and Beads of Courage Program Daily Bead Prescription, listing various medical steps and treatments.

Beads of Courage

Abby Joy & her strands of many beads

A newborn baby lying in a hospital bed covered with a floral blanket. The baby has a tube taped to its face for medical support, and various monitoring wires and equipment surround the bed. There are colorful beads and Scrabble letter tiles on the bed spelling out words, and a bead of Courage badge is visible near the head of the bed.

A variety of colorful jewelry and beaded bracelets scattered on a table with blurred boxes and alphabet tiles in the background.

A baby lying on a bed with colorful beaded necklaces and medical tubes and equipment around them.

Close-up of colorful beads and jewelry on a white surface.

A young child lying on a floral bedspread with a tube attached to their mouth, surrounded by colorful beaded necklaces, with one necklace having a 'BABY JOY' bead.

3+ Months in NICU

Trials & Triumphs

Abby Joy continued to baffle the medical team with why she could not be successfully extubated after subsequent tries. She had a heart catheterization to close the PDA (stopped blood from flowing between the sides of the heart), but that wasn’t enough. After exhausting all the other options, it was determined a tracheostomy would be needed as well as a g-tube for nutritional needs. Many nasal-gastric feeding tubes moved out of place, and the day before the other planned surgery it was discovered she had an intestinal malrotation that would also need to be addressed while her abdomen was open. This ‘three for the price of one,’ was her major intervention while in the NICU.

A young child with a ventilator on their face sleeping in a hospital bed with a pink blanket and patterned sheets, surrounded by medical equipment.

A newborn baby in a hospital incubator holding hands with a person. The baby has a pink headband and is hooked up to medical tubes and machines.

After layers of genetic testing the team determined she had Osteopathia Striata with Cranial Sclerosis. This meant her bones were incredibly hard (could chip diamond instruments in the OR), and many of her unique features and symptoms could finally be linked. This included a cleft pallet, finger syndactyly, double bone in a curved finger, low set ears with partial hearing loss in one, holes in the heart, higher disposition to certain types of cancer, etc. Her genetic condition originated mosaically (meaning it didn’t necessarily come from either parent) and this diagnosis helped everyone know how to best plan her care moving forward.

A purple butterfly with delicate wings and antennae.

A woman in a hospital bed holding and kissing a newborn baby with a ventilator on its face, surrounded by medical equipment.

A woman in a hospital bed holding a newborn baby with medical tubes and equipment around them, in a hospital room.

A purple butterfly with four wings, two larger at the bottom and two smaller at the top, with antennae on its head.

She would be moving forward with a long list of specialists as well as the need for in-home nursing care to be established, so she could be monitored 24 hours a day. In Pittsburgh, complex trach/vent babies are often transferred to The Children’s Home before going home so the family can learn the unique care needed and build a home nursing team. She left the NICU with her own graduation ceremony of nurses and staff cheering for her as she was wheeled to the ambulance for transport.

Close-up of a baby's face with wide eyes, wearing a yellow headband with a pink bow, lying on a pink patterned cloth, with a nasal cannula providing oxygen.

Close-up of a newborn baby lying on a pink textured blanket, wearing a pink headband with a bow, and a white outfit with lace details. There is a clear plastic tube with a nebulizer mask attached near the baby's face.

Abby Joy’s Graduation &
Transfer to Children’s Home

A close-up photo of a young person lying on the ground, wearing a black hoodie and with yellow dreadlocks hanging over their shoulder. The person's face is visible, showing dark eyes, light skin, and slightly parted lips. The surrounding background includes a table and some objects, but they are out of focus.

Paramedics attending to a patient on a stretcher near an ambulance.

The Children’s Home

Arrival & Family Meeting

A purple star shape on a black background.

A baby sitting in a wheelchair connected to medical tubes and equipment, wearing a light-colored hat with a knot on top.

Children's children's artwork and decorations for Thanksgiving. A banner with letters spelling 'BABY' and leaves, a paper pumpkin, and a blue paper truck carrying pumpkins. Hand-drawn turkeys and colorful messages for Thanksgiving celebration.

Upon arrival at The Children’s Home, it was a flurry of new faces and new equipment. During this time, she began labored breathing and her parents had to jump in and bag with oxygen while determining what was wrong with the new ventilator they hadn’t seen before. God intervened once again to save her brain or heart from damage in the midst of an emergency situation.

Abby Joy finally got to meet her big siblings on Thanksgiving Day. (They weren’t allowed at CHP due to COVID guidelines, though they Facetimed their sister and received pictures). Their meeting was beautiful, and they loved her fully from the beginning. It was clear that God had given her the perfect, compassionate siblings to help her thrive in the future. They would later become a major part of her therapy success and overall development since they were up for modeling things for her and making it fun. It was a blessing for the family to have this transitional location before being HOME for Christmas.

Her parents worked diligently through the parent education program while reaching out to nursing agencies and interviewing nurses. Since this was still pandemic time, this task was particularly challenging. God provided the perfect day nurse and a variety of night nurses who would help the family when they got home. For the family, keeping nursing staff proved to be one of the most difficult parts of parenting a medically complex child (as there was constant turnover).

A large purple five-pointed star with a black background.

A family of three sitting on a hospital bed, with the child in the middle connected to medical tubes, alongside a woman and a man smiling.

Purple star-shaped object with a black background.

An illustration of a banana peel with a black banana inside.

Cancer

Chemo-Surgery-Cured

The genetic diagnosis given to Abby Joy had various levels of severity. She ‘checked every box’ in both the male and female presentations, except cancer…and we told her to try to avoid the oncology floor at the hospital. Just a few months after being home she was back in-patient with a variety of weird symptoms. It was during this February stay that she was diagnosed with a malignant Wilms tumor on her left kidney. As a ventilator-dependent baby with a severe medical condition, her case would be very difficult and tumor boards from around the country spoke about her case. Her wonderful oncologist guided her through six months of chemotherapy.

A sleeping baby with a breathing tube lying on an adult's lap, surrounded by the adult's and another person's legs and arms, on a brown couch. The baby is dressed in a white onesie with colorful cartoon dinosaurs and is connected to medical tubes.

A toddler lying on a pink floral patchwork quilt, with a bed diaper and socks, holding an IV line and looking up at the camera with a concerned expression.

At the midpoint check, the scan showed the tumor had not shrunk, so she had surgery to remove a portion of her left kidney and adrenal gland. For any family, sitting in a waiting room on days like this can be excruciating. God gave peace that passed understanding again. The surgeon came out and reported that he was able to get the entire tumor. She finished her course of chemotherapy and rang the bell, being declared cancer-free the week of her first birthday! Soon thereafter, she had surgery to remove her Broviak (preferred port style for young kids) as well as repairing her cleft palate.

An illustration of a group of diverse people forming a human pyramid to reach a hanging bell, set against a swirling blue and yellow background.

A woman and a man, both wearing masks, look at artwork on a wall in a gallery. The woman is holding a small child, who is also masked, in her arms.

The moments leading to that miraculous day were filled with much uncertainty and challenge. Transporting a trach/vent baby to and from the hospital weekly, watching growth and development stop completely during that time, doing sterile procedures to change out Broviak dressings on an infected wound and flushing the line with saline and heparin became regular tasks. It is only through the strength of Jesus that the whole family survived that season. It was in celebration of this milestone that ‘Laps of Love’ began with her siblings to honor their sister and bring blessings to other kids battling the same disease.

A woman in a black face mask and glasses is sitting on a hospital bed next to a young child with a medical tube, who is sitting up and looking at her. Another woman with long hair wearing a colorful floral dress is sitting in front, holding a guitar. A stroller and medical equipment are visible in the room, with a window with yellow trim letting in natural light.

A smiling woman wearing glasses and a beige T-shirt holding a small baby girl dressed in pink with a floral headband, standing beside a smiling man wearing glasses and a black T-shirt with a yellow name tag, in a room with artwork on the walls.

On a final appointment at the clinic, one of the experienced nurses on the floor shared that, to her knowledge, Abby Joy was the first baby in the hospital’s history who had beaten cancer while being ventilator dependent.

Her wonderful oncologist even presented her case at a conference that fall.

She was truly a miracle once again!

Holidays in the Hospital

A large white snowflake illustration on a black background.

A woman with glasses smiling while holding a baby in a hospital room, with medical equipment and a yellow padded mat in the background.

A woman with glasses smiling, holding a baby dressed in a yellow duck costume in a hospital room. A man with glasses is sitting behind them. Medical equipment is visible in the background.

One of the by-products of severe illness is that children often are in the hospital on days that are special. Abby Joy spent her first Halloween, Thanksgiving, (visited clinics around Christmas) and Valentine’s Day in-patient. Any baby’s firsts are extra special to a parent, so the family had to find a way to celebrate in more unique ways. Receiving a duck costume, a turkey headband, a Valentine’s Day craft or other small gestures of love meant the world. It was often the little things that got you through the day as a parent living at the hospital or the attached Ronald McDonald building. The foundation hopes to bless families in this way so others can experience joy even in difficult moments.

Close-up of a white snowflake against a black background.

A woman and a man wearing face masks stand next to a decorated Christmas tree with ornaments and presents underneath. The woman is standing next to a baby in a stroller, and the man is holding a Christmas gift. The background features an indoor setting with holiday decorations and a reception desk.

Two adults and a baby in a stroller, with a Santa Claus figure, Christmas trees, and holiday decorations in the background.

“Silent Night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright...Sleep in heavenly peace”

A man with glasses and a partially removed face mask stands next to a hospital bed in a medical setting, holding the hand of an infant lying on the bed. The infant is dressed in a red and white heart-patterned outfit, connected to medical tubes, and is looking at the camera. The background includes curtains and medical equipment.

Hospital bed with a newborn baby wearing a heart-patterned outfit, colorful greeting cards with Valentine's Day themes, a soft pink plush teddy bear, and a blanket with a dinosaur print.

White snowflake ornament on a black background.

A purple butterfly silhouette on a black background.

Clinic Visits, Scans
& Procedures

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at this point was a ‘second home’ to Abby Joy. She regularly met with specialists, had scans, went to the OR for airway scopes, and more. During this time Abby Joy worked to get off her ventilator fully during the day and eventually even at night (using a CPAP machine for humidification). As her airway strength,ene,d the doctors regularly discussed the possibility of decannulation in the future.

A family at a hospital entrance surrounded by purple and silver balloons, with a large balloon reading 'Thanks!' and a smiling face. The family includes a woman wearing a mask and a pink shirt, a man wearing a mask and glasses lifting a child in a wheelchair who is crying, and a woman in a white coat in the background.

A young child with a breathing tube in a hospital bed, resting with a woman who is wearing glasses and a face mask, possibly a caregiver or medical staff member.

The feeding team helped guide oral motor skills, along with swallow studies looking for aspiration, to continue the goal to eventually get nutrition orally rather than through the g-tube. Regular scans followed the kidneys to make sure the cancer didn’t return. This brave girl went to almost every clinic that exists at the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. Between appointments, we would name the colors of the wall in sign language, practice getting neck control or whatever PT strategy we were working on, watch the trains in the waiting room, or just wheel around in the stroller.

A young girl with medical tubes in her nose is sleeping on a hospital bed, surrounded by colorful decorations, plush toys, and a nature-themed mural with a bear, butterflies, and a waterfall.

A young girl in a yellow dress with tiger patterns sitting on a person's lap, in a medical setting.

A purple butterfly silhouette with simple, smooth wings and antennae against a black background.

The transition from emergency room visits to scheduled appointments was a much-needed relief, and we had rewards at Starbucks on the way to the parking garage, including a special cup for the brave girl. With her joyful spirit, it never mattered to her that her cup was actually empty, because she always had a full heart of gratitude. She constantly amazed her providers with physical, emotional and social development that was far beyond what any of them would have expected for her.

A young child sitting on a hospital bed, smiling and wearing a colorful gown with animal prints. Medical equipment, including a monitor, is visible in the background.

A young girl with brown hair in a ponytail sitting in a stroller, smiling and holding a large paper cup, in a brightly lit indoor waiting area with yellow and green walls, and gray chairs.

Adapted Adventures

A kid is a kid no matter what their physical or cognitive limitations are. This means they want to run around and explore their environment to learn. If a child can’t physically move around their space, this can severely limit their cognitive abilities early on. Her homeschool Mama included Abby Joy in as much as possible and made it her goal to develop her daughter’s cognitive ability while the physical skills were catching up. To this end, Abby Joy was taught ASL and used an AAC device. A group from Chatham University even made a switch-adapted jeep just for her that she took pride in driving around the yard (while a parent steered remotely). The home was filled with standers, walkers, therapy balls, oral stimulation tools, adaptive scissors, and anything else special Abby Joy would need to be successful. When Abby Joy was finally able to join siblings on fun field trips for homeschool, it was a developmental milestone that all celebrated. This included her amazing day nurse, who was always up for doing the extra work with mom to make it possible for Abby Joy to join in the fun.

A young girl with curly hair sitting in a mobility scooter in front of a banner that reads 'Chatham University' and 'Goodbye Baby G!'. The banner also has references to physiotherapy and occupational therapy. There are balloons tied to the banner and various items in the scooter and near it, including a bag and a purple toy. The background features a wooden-paneled wall.

Children sitting in toy cars decorated with purple, black, silver, and checkered balloons, in an indoor setting.

A young girl in a pink shirt sitting in a purple toy car with a white helmet on her head, on a grassy area with a rock border in the background.

Purple musical treble clef symbol on a black background.

Her Favorite Things

At age three Abby Joy began preschool with her homeschooled siblings. Along with academics with mom, she worked faithfully with her amazing home nurse to gain strength and mobility. She always had in-home therapy, but out-patient therapy with Capable Kids was also dded. Everyone collaborated together to create the best plan of care and therapy goals for Abby Joy. Her work ethic was unlike anything those experienced therapists had ever seen. They were always impressed with her progress (with siblings by her side to encourage and challenge her also).

A young girl with brown hair, wearing a dress with strawberries and pink shoes, standing next to a chalkboard sign, holding the handlebar of a small white ride-on toy. The background features a wooden wall and a window with green trees outside.

A purple music note with a stylized design, featuring a curved shape and cutouts, set against a black background.

Therapy was truly a family affair. At home, Abby Joy learned her letters and numbers verbally and in ASL, worked on fine motor skills, learned Bible verses and much more to be a well-rounded preschooler. She particularly loved rewatching the worship portion of Sunday morning church on a phone so she could listen to music while she practiced her therapy goals. She truly loved her music and riding her balance bike around the house to keep up with her siblings wherever they were.

A young girl with brown curly hair, wearing a navy dress with cherry patterns, holding a colorful 'First Day of School' sign with her name 'Abby Joy' written on it, outdoors with green grass and trees in the background.

In her first year, Abby Joy had to live in a ‘bubble’ at home due to being immunosuppressed by chemotherapy and being ventilator dependent. When she finally got to come with the family to church, it felt like the biggest milestone. Church became Abby Joy’s favorite place to visit. She would do the ASL sign for church even if the family was just driving past the building. She connected with the worship music in such a pure way and slowly got well enough and strong enough to sit near the front of the sanctuary in the sign language section. She progressed from being pushed in a stroller, to a balance bike to cruise the halls, to a purple walker that she walked independently from one side of the church to the other. Everyone knew and loved her there, and it was like she was a celebrity with how many people would tell her hello in awe of her progress each week. God was allowing the miracle of her life to be seen by many.

A young girl with curly hair wearing a grey t-shirt with a cartoon character and a pink bow in her hair, sitting on the carpeted floor, playing a small guitar, with a colorful game or toy box nearby.

A young girl with long, wavy hair is sitting in a beige high chair indoors, playing a pink toy guitar featuring characters from 'Paw Patrol.' She is wearing a light-colored dress with multicolored heart and character patterns. Behind her, there is a brown couch, large windows with blinds, a decorative floor lamp, and photo frames on the wall.

A young girl sitting in a wheelchair in a living room, holding a small toy guitar, wearing a red and white striped dress with holiday ornaments and a gold heart ornament hanging from her neck.

Abby Joy had made it ‘out of the woods’ with most of her most severe medical challenges. ,She would have a lifetime of specialists, but she was truly thriving in every capacity. She was incredibly happy and finally able to enjoy family field trips to the zoo, the theatre, the park, etc. She was living life and loving it. That is why April 9, 2025 caught the whole family off guard. Abby Joy began running a fever that morning and then went into a blank stare and started into a seizure. (She had previous EEG’s and was cleared from neurology as not being a seizure risk child.) It was ‘all hands on deck’ as parents and her nurse all worked on her in her bed while calling 911 and getting siblings out of the house. She was life-flighted to Pittsburgh with mom in the helicopter and dad driving behind. This would be her first and final helicopter ride, just like her favorite cartoon character Skye, (from Paw Patrol), who flies a pink helicopter. Her mom had peace in the helicopter that Abby Joy was His child first and His will would be done. The seizure lasted for hours and eventually she went into septic shock.

Final Day

A young girl with pigtails sitting in a high chair, smiling, holding a colorful 'Last Day of School' chalkboard sign with details about her school year.

Through the night, her brain herniated, and she became brain-dead early in the morning of April 10th. When her parents realized she wouldn’t be coming home, her siblings and other family came to say goodbye. Organ donation was discussed (to try to optimize her body in the best way for the next child). Due to multiple infections that were found along with sepsis, she wasn’t able to save another in that way, though she is considered an honorary donor by CORE. After running the full course of neuro tests and scans, her ventilator was unhooked for the final time and her heart became fully healed as her favorite worship songs, “I Believe” and “Run to the Father,” played in the room. There was weeping, but there was also peace that this sweet girl’s body was finally whole and she was running into the arms of her Heavenly Father.

A young girl lying on the floor under a black table, holding a yellow marker. In front of her are many colorful markers in clear plastic bags on a green surface.

Celebration of Life

A close-up of a floral arrangement with pink and yellow flowers, greenery, and a butterfly-shaped decoration with pink and yellow wings.

As the family prepared for the celebration of life, her mom was reminded of a prayer she prayed back when Abby Joy had cancer. She had released Abby Joy to Him and asked that if God wanted to take her, He would do it quickly so she wouldn’t have to suffer and that it wouldn’t take place in their home. Both of these prayers were answered, and the last thing doctors said she would have remembered was laying in her bed with all of her loved ones in the same area of the house. God works in mysterious ways sometimes, and we don’t always know why He allows certain things. Her family chooses to trust God’s constant character and know that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

A display of jewelry made of colorful beads laid out on a white cloth with children's artwork, framed photos, and informational posters behind it. Items include necklaces, bracelets, and medallions, with a sign referencing Nehemiah 8:10 and messages about joy and courage.

A memorial card with a pink floral background, featuring a photo of a young girl, and text in memory of Abigail 'Abby Joy' Campbell, who lived from August 19, 2021, to April 10, 2025. There is also a decorative phrase that says 'The joy of the Lord is my strength'.

Salvation

Silhouette of a cross on a hill against a dramatic sunset sky.

Why is there such confidence she is in heaven? It says in Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Abby Joy had learned to speak and sing near the end of her life and she was even learning Bible verses verbally and in ASL. She had the chorus of “I Believe” by Charity Gayle memorized. She had declared with her mouth that Jesus was Lord and through many circumstances, she showed a heart seeking Him through worship in a way rarely seen by a child. She always belonged to her Heavenly Father, and her earthly father and mother know that the time God gave them to spend with her has forever changed them. It is out of her joy and how she influenced so many lives that this foundation idea was announced the week of her celebration of life. Through the generosity of many and guidance from God, nonprofit status was obtained, and ministering to others began in August 2025 on what would have been Abby Joy’s 4th birthday. Her life verse truly was Nehemiah 8:10, which says, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is the foundation’s hope and prayer that you will know Jesus because of the faithful life of Abby Joy.

Philippians 4:19

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Born at Magee &
Transferred to CHP’s CICU