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I Delivered My Baby 25 Weeks Premature After A Head-On Collision Nearly Cost Us Our Lives
After exchanging I do's in an intimate courthouse wedding, Jevon and Julie McBride were eager to start the big family they had always talked about while dating. Julie couldn't wait to be a mother. However, starting a family of her own wouldn't come without struggle.
Within the first few years of marriage, trying to conceive was plagued by a string of miscarriages. The pair eventually sought help at a fertility clinic where, several extensive tests later, they learned that they were infertile.
Exactly 10 years from the time they were married, Jevon and Julie found out they were pregnant with their baby girl Juliana. It was not only a miracle, it was a gift from God.
25 weeks into her pregnancy, the couple were involved in a head-on collision.
Below, Julie takes us through her journey from infertility to conception of her child, the life or death moment that would change her life forever, and ultimately how the grace of God blessed her with the family she and her husband had prayed for.
On Being Confronted with Infertility
I knew there was an infertility issue three years before we conceived Juliana. The struggle of conceiving was heartbreaking. I had three miscarriages within the first three years of our marriage. Every month, we would have hope. Every month, we would buy pregnancy tests, and every month, we would get a negative.
That's the same time that we sought help as well. We considered adoption, but it was so expensive and we wanted to try seeing a fertility doctor first. The fertility doctor wanted us to try naturally for a while before they introduced fertility meds, even though we said we'd been having issues for years already.
When we learned of infertility, our doctor had us do testing with my uterus and fallopian tubes. I also had to do lots of different blood work testing. We had to try naturally for a while and also used ovulation testing. When that didn't work, went to oral fertility meds. It almost becomes a trial and error to see what works and what agrees with your body. What ended up working for me was a Gonal-f injection pen and IUI.
On Learning They Were Finally Pregnant
It was 10 years from the time we got married until the time we got pregnant with our baby. I screamed with excitement the moment the positive showed up. I thanked God over and over for delivering on His promise. I couldn't believe after all the heartache and tears I was carrying in my life, I was carrying a child too. So many years of wanting a baby and our dream and prayers were being answered. My husband watched me for a little bit, then hugged me in excitement. He was thrilled.
Juliana's conception was a blessing from God. It was proof that when you have faith, God will deliver on His promise.
We prayed for her every day that we carried her. We bought a baby swing right away and we would buy gender neutral clothing, and got a baby-soothing noisemaker. We also completed a baby registry.
On the Night That Changed Everything
The night of the head-on collision, we were headed home from the military base where my husband is stationed. I had just finished my shift (as a preschool teacher) and he was the gym. We rode together. A driver fell asleep and crossed over the two-lane road right into our lane.
We will never forget the headlights coming at us and I will never forget my husband honking, saying, “What is this driver doing?"
We were a mile from our house when the head-on collision happened. When we came to, after the accident, my husband asked if I was okay and if I felt the baby. He knew something was wrong with his leg immediately. He couldn't move it. I couldn't move either. We prayed to our Father several times while waiting for help to arrive. We just wanted our baby to be okay.
I was 25 weeks at the time of the accident.
On the Aftermath
My husband sustained a shattered ankle and a broken tibia and femur. I had a hip concussion and was on a walked for a little over a month. We both had concussions as well.
I learned I would need an emergency C-section within 10 hours of Juliana's birth. I was scared because the doctor knew I had bleeding in my uterus and I didn't want to lose my baby or die. I was also sad it wasn't the birth we had planned but most of me put that aside and didn't care as long as Juliana survived.
We did not have a name for her until we prayed before we both went in for surgeries after our head-on collision. We named her Juliana after my grandmother, Charlotte after my husband's grandmother, and Madison derived from Matthew out of the Bible, which loosely means “Gift from God."
They didn't know if she would survive but we asked them to give her a fighting chance. No matter what. On day three, after she was born, we learned she had a grade 4 brain bleed and they didn't think she would survive.
God had different plans.
On the Recovery Process
My husband was in the hospital for a few weeks. I was in the hospital for a little over a week and Juliana was in the NICU for a little over 3 ½ months.
Recovery was tough. My husband endured multiple surgeries and had grueling physical and occupational therapy, which is still ongoing. I had physical and occupational therapy as well. Juliana has physical and occupational therapy as well.
We kept the faith because we needed it for Juliana to survive and for my husband and I to heal. We knew God had plans and didn't bring us as far as He did for no reason. We know God loves us and will never give us more than we can handle.
On Their Happily Ever After
Life as a family of three has been beautiful. Somedays we say, “Wow, we're still here."
My husband is doing well in therapy and has finally been walking for two months without any assistance. Juliana just had her first birthday (October 8). She's meeting milestones and also continues PT (physical therapy) and OT (occupational therapy). I went back to work after 8 ½ months, Jevon at 9 months and he's still active duty air force. Juliana started daycare at the same time and she loves it.
Juliana is surely a miracle. We're so happy that she's a light to everyone who knows her and even people who don't.
We remember so many times when doctors would say things didn't look good or even when she fought for her life after brain surgery. She's still here. God had the final say.
You can have it all planned out and think things will go one way, but God knows the ultimate plan.
- As Told To Sheriden Chanel
Keep up with Julie McBride and her beautiful bundle of joy Juliana on Instagram.
Have you been blessed with children after doctors labeled you as “infertile" or said there was a slim to zero chance that you would be able to have children? We'd love to feature you! Send us an email detailing your story with the subject: “Miracle Baby" to submissions@xonecole.com. Don't forget to send pics!
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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