We are overjoyed to introduce you to our beautiful son, Titus Allen Gallegos, born on October 31st. The journey to bringing him into our lives has been filled with joy, unexpected challenges, and just incredible reminders of God’s presence.
On Saturday, we received a call about a baby boy who needed loving parents, and without hesitation, we knew the answer was "yes." By Monday, we were in Tampa, meeting Titus for the first time. He was being cared for in the NICU, working through substance withdrawal and managing a heart condition (tetralogy of Fallot) that will eventually require surgery. Though this news initially rocked us extremely hard, we felt comforted by God’s hand in each part of this journey thus far.
Titus showed signs of improvement on Tuesday, but unfortunately, he had a rough day yesterday, and his heart condition worsened. The hospital in Tampa wasn’t equipped to provide the level of care he needed, so he was transferred to Orlando via helicopter while we traveled close behind him. We’re now with him in the Pediatric Cardiac NICU in Orlando, and he’s receiving around-the-clock care. This morning, the cardiologist will speak with us, and there’s about a 50% chance he may need open-heart surgery later this week. We’re praying for improvement, but at this point, it could go either way.
We’re also trying to navigate the complexities of the legal and social work system to prepare for an emergency transfer out of state if needed. If it’s determined that Titus requires surgery this week, our goal is to bring him to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, which is the top hospital in the country for his specific heart condition. For now, though, he is in good hands in Orlando, surrounded by the resources and medical expertise he needs.
We’ve had many moments that confirm that we are meant to be Titus's parents. Leesie’s background as a Pediatric Cardiac ICU Nurse at Dell Children's, where she cared for children in situations exactly like Titus’s, feels beyond coincidence. From the very beginning, she was equipped with skills and an understanding of this situation. On our first night, the hotel concierge shared his own story of being adopted and needing life-saving surgery as a newborn, supported every step by his adoptive parents. Hearing his story was a reminder that God brought us here for a reason, even if we can’t fully understand it yet.
Looking back, it even feels providential that we didn’t know about Titus’s heart condition until we arrived. In full honesty, we’re not sure we would have had the courage to say “yes” if we had known all of this beforehand. But now that we're here, we know without a doubt that he is our son, and God prepared us in ways we never realized.
The love and support from our family, friends, and church community has been overwhelming. Right now, what we truly need is prayer—prayer for strength, for Titus’s healing, and for God to perform miracles in our little man's life. We know we aren’t strong enough on our own to face this, but we are confident that God is holding us up, and that the Holy Spirit is giving us discernment, every step of the way.
We’ll continue to share updates as we know more, and we can’t wait for the day we bring Titus home to meet everyone who already loves him so dearly. Thank you for being a part of our journey.
We’re taking things hour by hour and feel blessed beyond measure by our support system. Thank you for following our journey here; I’ll be posting updates as we go, which makes it easier for us to stay connected with everyone.
Above all, we are thankful for your prayers and support. We know we aren’t strong enough on our own, but God is, and He is holding us up through every moment.
With all our love, Anthony & Leesie
I realize I have not kept up with updating this page. I plan to continue posting updates to our substack blog that we have been updating. Please follow our journey with Titus here if you aren't already: anthonygallegos.substack.com
We’ve had a couple of really good days here! Titus’s heart rate has been slowly decreasing since yesterday, which is fantastic news. He fed well yesterday and did pretty well today, too. Overall, things have been quiet, and honestly, with this journey, I’m starting to realize that no news is typically good news. It’s a blessing to be able to say that we’ve had two really good days in a row.
Titus has been doing about 40-50% of his feeds through the bottle over the past couple of days, and at his 6 pm feed this evening (with Dad—high five!), he took 100% of his feed! We just need to get him to that place consistently. Right now, our focus is on “feed, feed, feed” because the sooner Titus gets to taking his full feeds from the bottle consistently, the sooner he can go home. If his heart continues to stabilize and feeding goes well, who knows—we might even be out of here by Thanksgiving!
We’re also really looking forward to the weekend because both of our moms have booked flights to come visit Titus. We’re so excited to have them here and to share this special time with family.
On a personal note, I was able to have some good, positive, “normal” conversations over FaceTime these past couple of days, which has been a real boost. I caught up with my dad and two brothers yesterday morning, had a nice chat with my best friend Garret this morning, and tonight, Leesie and I FaceTimed with our friends Sarah and Blake LeBaron back home in Tennessee, who lead our small group. It’s nice to connect with our close circle and feel a sense of normalcy, even if it’s over a screen.
That’s all for today. If I don’t post anything for a day or two, it likely means Titus is continuing in a positive direction. I’ll keep posting frequently, though, because I know these updates help guide everyone’s prayers, and that intentional prayer is so important to me and Leesie.
Have a great night, and God bless y’all.
With love,Anthony & Leesie
The journey of caring for a newborn with a heart condition truly takes you up, down, and all around. Although Titus had an overall good day yesterday, his heart rate was higher than normal for the entire day. The team performed another echo to check on his stent, and thankfully, it all appears to be stable. Today’s goal is to figure out what’s causing his heart rate to stay so elevated. Leesie suspects that the fentanyl from Saturday’s emergency procedure may have triggered a “relapse” in his withdrawal symptoms from his prenatal substance exposure, which could explain his increased heart rate and other signs of withdrawal these last couple of days. It’s just going to take time for him to get over this hump, and that’s okay. Yesterday was filled with lots of rest and minimal bottle feeding—just what he needs to recover. We’re hoping today brings some time for us to hold him and give him extra love.
Another blessing yesterday was our conversation with a Pediatric Cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. My Uncle Robert connected us with him through one of his clients, who has connections over there. He spent about 30 minutes on the phone with us last night, talking us through next steps and helping us plan for Titus’s journey in the weeks and months ahead. This felt like yet another providential moment, as my uncle only started working with this client less than a month ago. Having his guidance was incredibly reassuring, and although we know we’re facing a long road, Leesie and I are in good spirits and ready to tackle what’s ahead.
The team here has also become like family. The nurses and staff who are caring for Titus are special people, and he’s become the talk of the unit. Staff from all over have been stopping by to check on him and let us know they’re here for him—and for us—ready to see him succeed. Special shoutout to Bridgette, who has been so thoughtful and kind, bringing us breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day, making sure we’re taking care of ourselves, even when we don’t feel like it. And to Dr. Lee, one of the cardiologists, who told us all about his weekend visit to Austin and how he missed all of Titus’s excitement this past weekend! Their kindness is a daily reminder that we’re not alone in this.
That’s all for today—short update, but we’re grateful.
With love,
Anthony & Leesie
Yesterday was probably our quietest, most uneventful day so far—which was just what we needed. We started the morning in a way we didn’t originally picture: watching our first church service with Titus online as a family. It wasn’t how we planned our first Sunday together, but there was something special about it. Overall, Titus had a good day; he’s recovering well from Saturday’s emergency procedure, with lots of sleeping and even waking up a bit to try feeding.
Feeding has been a challenge. His withdrawals from prenatal substance exposure make it hard for him to coordinate bottle-feeding. He started strong in the morning, taking in 10-15 ml during those early feeds, but by afternoon and evening, it was a struggle. It’s hard watching him go through this—he doesn’t deserve this pain, and I’d take it away and give it to myself if I could. But he’ll get there in time, as his little body learns and heals.
We also had some special moments yesterday, with both Leesie and I getting to hold him for several hours. Holding him feels like a gift each time, and it’s incredible to see how resilient and strong he is, even as a newborn baby.
We received many encouraging texts from friends and family letting us know that Titus was prayed for during yesterdays church services. We know we keep saying this, but we truly are overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring of support from our community. Thank you.
I also have a story from my dad’s arrival in Nashville on Saturday night. As I mentioned, he flew out to watch our dogs and house-sit while we’re in Orlando with Titus for the foreseeable future. When he arrived, he had three Uber rides cancel before finally connecting with a driver willing to take him from Nashville to Columbia. As they chatted, my dad shared our adoption story, and his driver lit up with excitement—he’s also an adoptive parent! His 23-year-old son has special needs, and he reassured my dad that adopting his son was one of the best decisions they ever made. He wanted my dad to let us know that he is praying for Titus and believes everything will be okay. Moments like these feel like little winks from God, reminders that he’s right here with us on this journey.
Finally, there’s one more “coincidence” I wanted to share. While Titus was in surgery on Saturday, I started going through some old emails from my Granddad to help distract me. I came across one from July 14, 2020, where he had sent me a newspaper article about his brother Bruce. In 1951, at just 10 weeks old, my Uncle Bruce was the youngest baby to have a successful coarctation of the aorta repair at Johns Hopkins. The surgeon who performed that operation was Dr. Alfred Blalock, the same man who pioneered the procedure that Titus may need one day. Discovering this connection felt surreal, like another nudge from God reminding us that we’re exactly where we’re meant to be. I’m attaching a photo of that newspaper article below.
Thank you all for following along and for lifting up our family in prayer. Every message and every prayer means more to us than words can say.
With love,
Anthony & Leesie
First and foremost, today’s emergency RVOT cath lab procedure was a resounding success! Hearing how well it went was one of the most positive things we’ve heard all week. The stent was placed successfully, and Titus is already extubated and looking so much better!
It was a nerve-wracking few hours for Leesie and me as we sat by the phone in Titus’s room, getting hourly updates from the nurse. Titus is an absolute FIGHTER—just 9 days old and already stronger than his 32-year-old dad. I’m in awe of our little man’s resilience. To everyone checking in on us, sending words of encouragement, and letting us know you’re praying, thank you. Your support gave Leesie and me a huge boost through those hours of waiting.
Dr. Amin shared with us that it was a blessing they did the procedure today. If they had waited until early next week, Titus would likely have required emergency open-heart surgery. He explained that it was a very challenging procedure today, and we’re so thankful for the team’s skill and care in performing it slowly and meticulously. So much fell into place today, and it feels like we’re witnessing actual miracles unfold right before us.
Leesie and I had been pushing and fighting through the adoption and legal systems over the past few days to get immediate decision-making rights for his medical care—not just because we were planning for a potential immediate transport to Houston, but because God knew we’d need to make critical decisions in a matter of minutes today. Despite the scares and anxiety, everything worked out as the Lord intended, and Titus can now begin recovering for his next steps and getting home. It looks like the full-repair open-heart surgery may need to happen sooner than expected, possibly in a couple of months instead of four, but we’ll take things as they come.
I didn’t plan on making three posts today—ha! But Titus had other plans and wanted to remind everyone three times over the course of the day that he’s a warrior. His mommy and daddy couldn’t be prouder, and we feel so blessed to be his parents. This little guy is already changing our lives in the best possible way.
I might take a sabbath tomorrow and stream our church service with Titus and Leesie, and hopefully, have a quieter day with our little family of three (and all of the hospital staff of course!) If there’s no update tomorrow, that probably means it was a great day.
Talk to y’all soon, and God bless.
Anthony & Leesie
