About Us

Hello friends!

Some of you may know our story, some of you may not and some may only know bits. Nine years ago at this time, Josh and I were single, and living different lives, without any idea how they were about to change. After we met, our family plans were all over the place, we were unsure if we wanted kids, then we thought about foster care and adoption, solely due to all the kids in the system however God, per usual, had other plans.

Fast forward to 2021 and we were now married and a month away from getting our foster license (we were literally going to be licensed to parent!) when we found out we were also pregnant, with what we assumed was one healthy baby. We went to our first appointment to find out we were expecting twins, and after some shock wore off, we hit our first hurdle as parents-at our 20-week anatomy scan we learned that “Twin B” had a rare heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). We were immediately shared options including the most haunting on...terminate the pregnancy of Baby B, however, there was no question, this was not an option.

The pregnancy was high risk and rocky from there for the next 10 weeks, we had multiple appointments a week, for non-stress tests, checkups, lab work, you name it! At 30 weeks I was admitted to Parker Adventist, and later that night transferred to Children's Hospital Colorado where I hoped to keep the twins growing bigger and stronger, for much longer, however 5 days later, and a helicopter ride to UC Health next door, we found ourselves in the OR.

On May 5th, 2022, almost 10 weeks early, Joseph (Joey) and Matthew (Matty) Hall were welcomed into the world, in a whirlwind of chaos with much more to follow. Matty was transferred back to Children’s as soon as he was stable and admitted to the NICU where hours later he had a surgery that we were told he may not survive but not having the surgery was not an option, as this was an absolute life of death situation.

The surgery was done bedside, in the NICU, with Josh sitting alone in the hallway, but not without a baptism performed by one of the NICU doctors first. The reason for this surgery was not for Matty’s heart, but for another condition called Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula, or EA/TEF. This condition creates abnormal openings or blockages that affect breathing and eating and this was the start to a journey we are still in the thick of.

For the next three months, Joey was in the NICU to grow and learn how to eat-something he has no issue with now! One of our nurses referred to him as a dreamy preemie! He stayed by his brother's side, as much as possible and after his brother was more stable it was like Joey knew, and decided it was time to come home.

Matty stayed for an additional 3 ½ months, where he had a total of 7 surgeries, including open heart surgery, countless procedures, way too many code blue buttons pushed, what felt like a million X-rays, NG Tubes, TP tubes, the g-tube, GJ tube and then back to the g-tube, and one day before Thanksgiving we were able to go home, as a family of 4, on full time oxygen, and the feeding tube, it was like a mini ICU in our home!
 
In the following months, at the height or RSV we stayed close to home, doing many therapies, appointments with specialists and doctor's appointments and even a 6 day stay at the hospital for pneumonia. Then, in June, 2023, after a procedure called a triple scope, where Matty was put under, he was once again admitted to the hospital due to complications with anesthesia and having both COVID and the Rhinovirus. It was at that time, that Mattys team of doctors advised us to consider a trip to Boston, for a surgery they specialize in, and one that they were unable to do, due to the severity of his conditions.


Now, life is back to our normal, which includes 6 therapies a week for Matty (OT, PT and Speech) and two for speech therapies for Joey. Still many doctors’ appointments, though fewer as the months pass. We were of course joined by their little brother Mikey ("Kiki") in March 2024 and spend most days just surviving the chaos and loving every minute of it! Matty was no longer needs oxygen during the day, or nights, he is still on the feeding tube but has made tremendous strides, and eating is his absolute favorite hobby! Now we just have to work on swallowing more!

The last years of our lives have been very trying and exhausting, and Josh and I would not trade it for the world. While no one ever wants to see their kids sick and to have countless therapies and appointments this has been an incredible journey.

Since that 20-week appointment, we were told on three occasions, that we had options to cause the "demise" of "Baby B". Never did ending the life of our child cross our minds. We knew then and still do, that God chose us to be Matty (and Joey and Mikey's!) parents for a reason.

Our whole family has been endlessly blessed over the last 4 plus years by the doctors, nurses and therapists we have met along the way, so when Matty and Joey were asked to be Patient Ambassadors for the Hospital, it was not a question in the House of Hall!

We were blessed with the strongest boys we have ever met; they are resilient, they are hysterical and fun, and they are fighters! The days full of fear, terror, stress and exhaustion have been worth it to have our family and we would not have the family we have today without the existence of Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Our family is honored to be able to give back to Children's Hospital Colorado. The money we raise in our annual cornhole tournament is donated to the research team of Dr. Chris Derderian, Matty's surgeon who saved his life on night one, and has never stopped fighting for or loving Matty! 

The 3rd Annual Family Cornhole Tournament benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado is set for August 9th, at 10 AM at Clement Park and we would love if you could participate by attending or donating, or both!
 
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts for considering this and supporting us on this journey. It absolutely takes a village!