(audience applauding)
- When my next guests learned they were expecting
after 17 difficult years of trying to have a baby,
the world rejoiced along with them
in this moving viral video.
(Arkell sobbing)
Oh my gosh.
(audience applauding and cheering)
It's like the greatest video.
It's just pure joy on your face.
And you weren't trying, right, Dana?
- No, we were not trying.
Actually we had so many problems before.
We were pregnant five times.
We had one stillborn baby and then four miscarriages.
- That is hard on your heart.
- It was definitely, it was very hard.
Of course we always wanted a family.
And we actually were blessed to be able to adopt
our oldest son, Keelan, and he's a senior now.
But I was blessed to be able to cut his umbilical cord.
And so we had kind of given up trying to have a baby
on our own because we felt that he was our first miracle
and we were just satisfied.
We were thankful.
- Yeah. - Yes.
- And I got so moved from watching the video again
that I totally forgot to introduce you.
But I want to introduce you.
Sorry, this is Arkell, Arkell, right?
Like Kelly. - Yes.
- Arkell and Dana. - Yes, yes
- Right? (audience applauding)
I wanna introduce Dana and Arkell.
I've never not introduced people.
That's a first mess up for me, but I was so moved
by your video.
It's just like, I know that I've had friends in my life
that have had trouble getting pregnant.
And when that happens, it's just such joy.
So how did you find out that were pregnant Caleb?
Because you weren't trying.
- We were not trying
and I actually started having issues with swelling
in my legs, my fingers.
And my mother, she's a nurse and she saw that,
and she was like, "Dana I really need you
"to go and get that checked.
"There may be something going on with your kidneys."
So I went to my regular doctor, they ran a few tests.
When I came back in, my doctor said,
"How far along are you?"
And I look at him, I was like, "What do you mean?"
He said- - At first were you like,
that's rude. - Yes.
It's a little holiday weight.
- Exactly.
And so I said, "What do you mean?"
And he said, "Well we checked your urine
"and you're pregnant, how far along are you?"
I said, "I guess I'm about 12 hours 'cause I have
"absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
- Oh my gosh.
I'm about 12 hours.
(laughing) (audience applauding)
- And so he told me that I really needed to go
to my OBGYN and find out how far along I was.
I was 18 and a half weeks pregnant.
- Wow, I think that's a God thing too because
also having gone through what you've already been through,
trying to get pregnant, that adds stress.
And that's not helpful in trying to get pregnant.
- Exactly. - And so that's
a God thing that you didn't know the whole time.
But you did have complications with Caleb, correct?
- Shortly after that video was made,
I ended in ICU.
I was having congestive heart failure.
- Wow. - And they stated
that it was because of the complications with Caleb.
And the doctors, they were begging me
to please, terminate the pregnancy.
They told us that even if we went forward with it,
at this time I was about 21 weeks.
And they said, "Even if you do go forward with it,
"you're going to have a life long of disabilities.
"We are not recommending that you keep this baby."
I remember one of the pulmonologists,
and the cardiologist, but the pulmonologist
got on her knees and wanted to be eye level with me.
She said, "You do understand that if you do not
"terminate this pregnancy, you are gonna die."
She said, "I can tell you your baby has less
"than a one percent change to make it."
She said, "But if you continue this pregnancy
"until we consider this a viable pregnancy at 23 weeks,
"you're going to die."
And I told her, I said, "Well that's just a chance
"I'm a have to take," because I knew that God
did not reveal this to me, and I did not want to,
I didn't want to terminate the pregnancy.
I felt like it was a blessing in disguise.
- Absolutely.
I'm losing my mind here.
How is Caleb today?
- Our miracle, he's four years old now.
He has cerebral palsy.
He has a trach,
he's our miracle.
Caleb goes to school three days a week.
Caleb loves to go to church.
Caleb loves music, which he's thriving.
He's beaten all the odds.
- Yes.
- Isn't that amazing what people tell you
is going to happen,
that in your heart you know that it can be different,
it will be different?
- Yes. - Yes.
- That's an amazing thing to know
and be present with yourself
(audience applauding) and know that.
- Yes.
- What was it like spending a year
in the NICU with Caleb though?
- I tell people that one day in the NICU
is like a lifetime.
He had four different surgeries while in the NICU.
- Wow. - So it was just a-
- And he's so tiny.
- He was 13 ounces when he was born.
The smallest baby in Virginia to survive.
- Wow. - And so again,
a miracle- - I love how you
said it like that, to survive.
- Yeah. - To survive ever the odds.
- Yes, yes, with less than a one percent change
to make it.
God was truly on our side.
- Yes, amen, amen.
(audience applauding)
And you actually turned that kind of negative thing
that happened to you, that vibe, into something positive,
it's called,
Baby buns. - Baby Buns For Life.
- Yeah. - And we actually
started a non profit organization.
And while I was in the hospital
and while Caleb was in the hospital,
we actually started making just
Baby Buns blessing bags,
and we would pass it around to the parents
that were in the hospital.
And there were all kind of items in there.
A lot of the parents, they would actually stay overnight,
so we even wanted to make sure that they had
nice toiletries from some of nice body shops.
So if they took a shower at the hospital
then they would smell good, you know?
- Yeah. - So anything small
to make them feel good.
- Yes, it's such a beautiful thing you've done.
(audience applauding)
Have y'all anybody, have y'all experienced
anything like this before?
- Well I was actually a SIDS baby
and my grandmother- - Wait a SIDS?
- SIDS, Sudden Infant- - No I know but
so you died?
- My grandmother brought me back with CPR.
I was in the my mom's arms.
- Best grandma ever.
- Nana, that's Nana Ever for sure.
- Whoa.
- And my mom was 19 years old and it was just like,
if she didn't have her family around her.
Who knows what could have happened?
And I was on a heart monitor forever after that.
This was the 80s.
And they had to make sure that I could keep breathing
on my own.
And so it's amazing what you guys are doing
to help because it's just like, to have a child at all,
but then to have complications, is so hard.
So it's amazing what you all are doing.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
- Yeah.
- Dana and Arkell have been there to help so many families
breathe just a little bit easier with Baby Buns,
which is the greatest thing ever.
And they have no idea but we have someone here
who wants to give Dana and Arkell a huge thanks in person.
Please welcome Erika y'all.
(audience applauding and cheering)
- [Kelly] Yeah!
- Oh.
- Hi. - Hi!
Oh you are cute.
- Say hi. - Hello.
- Hi, nice to see you.
- Nice seeing you.
- Oh my gosh, you're adorable.
- Wow. - Look at how special.
- Hi baby.
- So cute, hold onto mama, hold on.
Yeah.
Are you saying cheese?
She turned and saw the audience and went, "Hey."
(laughing)
That was awesome.
All right so Erika tell us a little about Jace.
- Hey. - Hey!
- Jace was born at 24 weeks.
- Wow. - So I was literally
six months pregnant when I had her.
- [Kelly] Yeah.
- And she was born one pound, four ounces.
- [Kelly] Wow.
- So which they call a micro preemie at 24 weeks.
- Wow, so tell us about meeting Dana.
How did you hook up with Dana?
- My sister in law, wonderful Tanya, she's so awesome,
she knows Dana and has been helping her out
with the Baby Buns foundation.
And she said, "My sister in law's baby is in the hospital,"
and she wanted to reach out to me.
And she surprised me and came into,
well we kinda knew it was last minute.
And she came in and talked to me in the NICU.
- That's so sweet.
- It was difficult because she didn't know that day
Jace had a really bad moment.
They were giving her CPR and bringing her back.
- Oh I can't imagine. - And Dana came in
and right the same day.
- Maybe you needed it that day.
- It was just awesome because she gave me life
and just let me know that everything was gonna be okay.
And if I can get through it, you can get through it.
- Yes. - It means a lot.
- [Kelly] Hey! (audience applauding)
- [Erika] It means a lot.
- So Erika, do you want to tell,
I know you wanna talk.
You keep talking.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- You got a little star on your hands, all right.
So Erika do you wanna tell Arkell or Dana anything?
- I just wanna tell you all, I didn't really see you
in there but it's both of you so, thank you so much
for everything and believing in me,
and keeping me prayed up and having the whole community
pray for us, and for the gift basket.
It was perfect.
It was soap and Chapstick, 'cause your lips are dry
in the hospital.
- These are things you don't think about.
- No, the little notepad to write things on.
And you're just doing so much
and you're just so selfless.
- Oh thank you. - After everything
you've been through, all you two think about is giving back
and that just means a lot, so thank you.
Thank you so much.
- Are you clapping? (audience applauding)
Yay!
I mean, it's always a struggle to go through something
so difficult, but how does it feel though
that you turned that situation into something powerful
that helps other people?
How's that feel?
Feels good to her.
- We're absolutely honored to be able to do it.
People are thinking of, when you're in a hospital
there are financial struggles, on top of
the life struggles.
- You're seeing your baby - I got you.
- literally fighting for their life.
And as she said, they had to revive her child.
I know they had to revive Caleb so many different times
and we were in there, we would see that.
And your emotions going up and down.
You're excited because you walk in the room
and your child is still there,
your child is breathing. - Yes.
- And all of a sudden you find out
that they had a stroke.
(laughing)
- And look how fun they are.
They're the most beautiful, magnificent things.
You're so cute. - They are.
- Oh you just wanna take your shoes off.
You would've been good with me on tour,
I didn't perform with shoes for 10 years.
Just take them off, I don't like these either.
You want me to take mine off?
I mean these are just little blessings y'all.
They're so beautiful.
- [Dana] Yes.
- What you guys are doing is absolutely special.
- [Arkell] Thank you.
- I will definitely be making a donation.
- Oh that's awesome,
thank you. (audience applauding)
That it such a blessing.
That is such a blessing, thank you.
- Well you are all amazing parents,
amazing parents. - Thank you.
- You've been through a lot so.
Thank you so much for sharing your story,
it's not always easy to share these kinda trials
that are presented to us and as our story.
So thank you so,
Yay. - Yay.
- Say yay. - Yay.
But thank you so much,
- Thank you. - I really do appreciate it.
And Baby Buns y'all.