ELBA, Ala. (WDHN) — Anna Bowers, who has only been a mother for over a week now, is in need of financial help in order to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills for her and most importantly her son John Bentley Helms who was born about three months earlier than expected and is fighting for his life at UAB hospital.

“His weight is a big thing he’s not gaining any weight even with my help, his breathing, and he’s got some stomach issues with a distended abdomen and that’s all I really know right now,” Bowers said.

Last week on October 11th, Bowers had to have an emergency c-section after being diagnosed the day before her delivery with a rare and severe case of Preeclampsia which caused her liver damage.

Therefore, to stop her liver from failing, she had to deliver her child. Helms weighed 1 pound, 6 ounces, and 12 inches but recently he has been losing weight so he’s much smaller than his birth weight.

Helms is in the regional newborn intensive care unit at UAB.

Bowers said she knows she’s not the only NICU mom out there, but it hurts to leave her baby boy three hours away in a hospital where she can’t constantly see, hold, and love him.

“You feel guilty to see him have to fight because your body is supposed to be where he is doing it for him and you can’t help but feel guilty wondering if something does happen and he doesn’t make it and something ends up severely wrong it’s your fault when you know it’s not,” She said.

Right now, it’s hard for Bowers and her fiance John to take a trip to lay an eye on their baby boy thats fighting for his life — they are currently visiting once a week.

In May, they were in a bad car accident where the baby’s father was severely injured forcing changes in his job going from full-time to part-time, and sometimes he can’t get off.

Bowers cannot drive right now and has been out of work for at least another two months to be off, which is affecting them financially.

That’s why they are calling on the Wiregrass for someone to lend a helping hand to them during this rough time. A GoFunMepage has been set up with a goal of $10,000.

“Traveling back and forth three hours, and the parking in Birmingham is another expense, we hope to use it for food because the Ronald Mcdonald house can only do so much and of course the medical bills for me and him,” Bowers said.

Bowers said she would be thankful for any help that they could receive.