🥺💗 SHE WAS BORN UNABLE TO BREATHE ON HER OWN — BUT LITTLE FINLEE JUNE NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE 🙏✨

When Finlee June was born in February 2021, her parents, Lorin and Jeremy Messer, suddenly found themselves facing a reality no parent could ever prepare for.

Their tiny daughter had been born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of the facial bones and tissues. In Finlee’s case, the condition was severe enough to cause major breathing and feeding difficulties.

Instead of taking their newborn home, her parents watched as she was rushed into intensive care.

A ventilator helped keep her alive while doctors and nurses monitored every breath, every heartbeat, and every change in her condition.

For Lorin, the fear was overwhelming.

Every day brought another unknown. Every setback carried the terrifying possibility that she could lose the little girl she had only just met.

Finlee eventually needed a tracheostomy to help maintain her airway and a feeding tube so she could receive nutrition safely. Her first weeks of life became a world of tubes, monitors, medical equipment, and constant care.

She spent six weeks in the NICU, while her parents learned how to care for a child with complex medical needs.

But even in the middle of all that uncertainty, Finlee’s personality began to shine through. 💗

Her bright eyes, sweet smile, and gentle spirit gave her family something powerful to hold onto during the hardest moments.

There were frightening setbacks along the way.

At one point, after inhaling milk, Finlee developed serious respiratory complications and a tracheal infection. Her medical team intervened quickly, helping stabilize her and giving her another chance to keep moving forward.

For Lorin and Jeremy, caring for Finlee meant learning skills they had never imagined they would need.

They became experts in tracheostomy care, suctioning, feeding tubes, medical equipment, and the countless routines required to keep their daughter safe.

Lorin even described the experience as gaining a “self-taught nursing degree” after everything she learned during Finlee’s time in the NICU.

And slowly, the impossible began to feel possible.

At around 16 months old, Finlee was able to breathe through her tracheostomy without relying on a ventilator — a milestone her family celebrated as an incredible victory.

Yet Finlee was never just her diagnosis.

She was playful.

Curious.

Joyful.

And determined to experience childhood in her own way. 🌷✨

Because Treacher Collins syndrome can affect hearing, Finlee also uses hearing aids to support communication and development. Her family has worked tirelessly to make sure she has every opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with the world around her.

Her mother has also turned their family’s experience into an opportunity to educate others.

When strangers stare or have questions about Finlee’s appearance, Lorin encourages understanding rather than judgment. She wants people to see the little girl behind the medical equipment — a child who laughs, plays, loves, learns, and does so many of the same things other children do.

In 2023, Finlee even visited Newberry Elementary, where 130 first-graders had been learning about Treacher Collins syndrome and the importance of kindness and inclusion. She played catch with the children and showed them that being different doesn’t mean being less.

That message has become an important part of Finlee’s story.

Her face may look different.

Her medical journey may be more complicated.

But underneath it all is simply a little girl who wants to laugh, play, explore, and be loved.

❤️ She is not defined by her tracheostomy.

She is not defined by her feeding tube.

She is not defined by her diagnosis.

She is Finlee.

A daughter.

A sister.

A little girl with an enormous spirit.

And after everything she has already overcome, her journey is a beautiful reminder that a difficult beginning does not have to determine the rest of a child’s story.

🥹💗 Tiny but mighty, Finlee continues to show the world what courage, resilience, and unconditional love truly look like. 🙏✨