Life was going along just as planned for Brian and Amanda Adcock, who met at Auburn University, and returned to Brian’s hometown in the Tampa Bay area right after graduation. Brian joined his family business, the couple married, and were eager to start a family. They welcomed Matthew in 2002, and Jonathan in 2004, both of whom were born at St. Joseph’s Hospital just like their dad. Things in the Adcock household were hectic but happy.

Less than a year after Jonathan’s birth Brian and Amanda were thrilled to learn their family would be expanding yet again.

“When we found out we were having a third baby the year after Jonathan was born, we knew having three little ones under the age of four might have its share of challenges,” shares Amanda, “we just never imagined it would include the type of challenge we wound up actually facing.”

Twenty-nine weeks into what up to then had been an uneventful pregnancy, Amanda began to feel unwell. “I was getting severe headaches and just didn’t feel like myself.”

With her blood pressure dangerously elevated Amanda arrived at St. Joe’s where she was quickly diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition which can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for both mother and baby.

“We knew it was too early for the baby to be delivered, but they were having difficulty keeping Amanda’s blood pressure under control,” explains Brian. “The care they gave her was amazing, and every extra day they were able to give our baby in the womb was huge, but it was becoming too dangerous for Amanda to not deliver.”

Twelve days after Amanda entered the hospital, Anna Faith Adcock came into the world weighing three pounds three ounces – and with a long list of medical issues that included bronchial pulmonary dysplasia requiring ventilation, a hole in her heart requiring surgery, and a feeding tube so she could get the nourishment she needed. Anna was immediately brought to the NICU where she would spend the next three months fighting for her life alongside a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

It was a surreal experience for Brian, who was also dealing with a wife who was too sick to even see her baby girl until two days after her birth. When Anna’s doctors shared the potential outcomes for their daughter it was hard to think of a future without long-term problems.

“It was absolutely overwhelming. This weird mix of joy at welcoming our daughter, and fear about what came next,” recalls Brian. “I was worried about my wife, my newborn, my two little boys.”

The care and professionalism of the doctors and nurses inspired confidence during those first nerve-wracking days, and his parents’ long-time support of St. Joe’s bolstered his belief that everything would be okay.

“We’d had wonderful experiences with St. Joe’s when my sons were born, and through my parents’ involvement with the Foundation we were familiar with the incredible work being done there. My dad has been a member of the Foundation board and also part of the Chairman’s Circle, and my mom was active with the Philanthropic Women of St. Joseph’s. They both felt strongly about supporting the hospital’s efforts in our community and together sponsored various fundraising events, donated to create nursing scholarships and fund other initiatives, and helped to secure grants for much needed equipment and resources. Their involvement with St. Joe’s gave me added reassurance that Anna was in the best possible hands.”

With the expert care she received at St. Joe’s, Anna improved a little each and every day.

According to Amanda, “We knew she was getting the very best medical care, but it was also the non-medical touches that kept our spirits up, like seeing Anna dressed up as a little pumpkin for Halloween, or the concern the staff had for our well-being, and asking about our boys and how they were dealing with everything. That all makes such a big difference. We all mattered to them, not just Anna.”

Even though it was difficult not having her home to celebrate Christmas with her family, Anna’s homecoming shortly thereafter was a joyous occasion and a wonderful gift; however, the road ahead wasn’t an easy one. She required round the clock care and remained on supplemental oxygen and a feeding tube for the next twelve months. Juggling her doctor appointments and various therapies with the lives of two active and growing little boys wasn’t easy. But watching their daughter exceed all expectations and continue to thrive made it all worthwhile.

“We never let ourselves believe she wouldn’t be okay. And we are so grateful to the St. Joe’s team who shared our optimism and gave her the chance she needed to live a normal life,” Brian remarked. Brian is proud to share that Anna is now an active and healthy six-foot-one volleyball player completing her sophomore year of high school as an honor roll student. “Seeing her now, it’s hard to imagine her precarious start.”

The Adcock’s gratefulness for their daughter’s good health has led them to follow in Brian’s parents’ footsteps, becoming two of St. Joe’s biggest supporters.

“After they saved my daughter’s life, I knew helping St. Joe’s had to be part of our future. To show his appreciation, my dad made a special donation to the NICU in Anna’s honor, and once we had a chance to catch our breath after our experience, we made a point to get more involved.”

What started out as donations to the hospital Foundations grew into direct service in support of St. Joe’s, most recently with the Adcocks chairing the 2020 Heroes Ball, and Brian’s appointment as the current chair of the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation board.

Thanks to one of their many generous donations Brian and Amanda have made it possible for a specially trained facility dog to soon join the staff at St. Joe’s and help with all kinds of physical, occupational, and emotional therapy; in addition, their support this year will provide funding for a nursing scholarship as well as other areas of need throughout the hospital.

Brian says he and Amanda are humbled by the opportunity to give back and have enjoyed seeing their children become involved as well, representing a third generation of Adcock support of St. Joe’s.

“I’ve been in the financial industry a long time and I know the impact of a good investment. What St. Joe’s has done for us personally and does for our community each and every day deserves to be recognized and supported because the return on that investment is immeasurable. It’s lives. It’s families. It’s everything. I am so proud of how my family is continuing a tradition of generosity to a place that has given us so much so that St. Joe’s can keep on delivering miracles to other families just like they did for ours.”