ROBINSON, Texas (KXXV) — Brittany and Hunter McFarland, long-time residents of Robinson, welcomed their second son, Jack, on November 19, 2024. After a series of tests, NICU doctors informed them that Jack's heart anatomy was not expected. In response, the community is organizing a benefit to raise funds to support the family during this challenging time.
- Brittany and Hunter McFarland have lived in Robinson for years.
- On November 19, 2024, the couple welcomed their second son, Jack.
- After performing a series of tests, the NICU doctors told Brittany the anatomy of Jack’s heart was not normal.
- The community will hold a benefit to raise money for the family.
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“Each day is a blessing, and that's, and I guess that's the only way, we can embrace it, is that we're lucky enough to have another day with him, each day that he's here. I'm sorry, but that's the hardest thing about the experience,” Jack’s mother, Brittany McFarland, said.
Brittany and Hunter McFarland have lived in Robinson for years.
On November 19, 2024, the couple welcomed their second son—Jack.
She had a normal pregnancy and delivery—but that would change soon after his birth.
“It was on our very last vitals check when we heard the nurse say some type of code in her little walkie-talkie. And then the room kind of filled,” McFarland said. “We were stunned because up until that moment, he was completely healthy.”
After performing a series of tests, the NICU doctors told Brittany the anatomy of Jack’s heart was not normal.
“He's a unique case, and his heart is just complex,” McFarland said. “They didn't have any names for it. So, there was nothing that I could even look up to try to understand what was fully going on at that point.”
Jack was quickly flown to a hospital in Fort Worth—which has been his home for the past four months.
“I remember it just felt like a ringing in my ears. It didn't feel real,” McFarland said. “I was just a bucket of tears. I knew that what was happening was not fixable. As a mother, you want to fix things, so I felt hopeless.”
Jack has undergone both the Norwood and Glenn surgeries so far…
Brittany told 25 News that her faith and community support kept her family going during this difficult time.
“I've seen so many families come through this hospital who don't have that network of support around them,” McFarland said. “Then, throughout this experience, I learned that we are not alone. It built a community for me of people that could help.”
