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Children's Miracle Network helps Defiance family

Valerie Fogle endured what no parent ever wants to live through- the death of her son, Ethan Edward.

DEFIANCE, OH (Toledo News Now) - Valerie Fogle endured what no parent ever wants to live through- the death of her son, Ethan Edward.

Today, she and her husband Ben have a beautiful family; 10 year old Chase, 3 year old Maddie, and 1 year old Evan.

The Fogle family currently lives in Defiance, and says they got through a tragic time with the help of the Children's Miracle Network at Mercy Children's Hospital.

In October of 2008, Valerie and Ben learned they were pregnant with twins.  Everything with the pregnancy seemed normal until about week 20, when they received disturbing news from the doctor. There were blood flow issues to "Baby B."

Complications followed in the next 12 weeks, and Valerie had an emergency c-section 8 weeks before her due date.  At 4:01 p.m. on May 14, Madeline hope was born, and two minutes later came Ethan Edward.

"We got to see Maddie for about a minute and a half, and Ethan we didn't get to see," Ben Fogle explained.

Both newborns were taken to the NICU of Mercy Children's Hospital. That is when the Fogles first witnessed the impact of the Children's Miracle Network.

"You see the emotional connection between the doctors and the kids and the nurses and the kids and you see the medicine that happens for these babies that tries to keep them alive," Valerie explained.

Maddie seemed to develop well, but Ethan's internal complications began to snowball. At 21 days old, Ethan went into cardiac arrest, and doctors said they couldn't bring him back.

"They ended up, they unhooked him from the monitors, they took his breathing tube out," Ben said.

"And I held him, they put him in my arms, and he died," Valerie said.

The family says the Children's Miracle Network was there to support them through it all, and it was through their care that Maddie is alive and well today.

"It was personal, we weren't just patients.  We were part of their family," Ben said.

"Every day that we look at Maddie, we know it was the result of the good care of the nurses and the doctors at Mercy," said Valerie.

The Fogles continue to support the Children's Miracle Network, saying they want other families to feel the comfort they felt during their lowest days, and know that by telling their story, Ethan's memory will live on forever.

You can help raise money for the Children's Miracle Network and hear stories about other families impacted by the organization by tuning in to our telethon Saturday night from 7:00 to 11 p.m., and then Sunday morning, from 6:00 to 10 a.m.

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