Mother returns home after giving birth, losing limbs to illness

By Alyssa Jackson

Click here for updates on this story

    OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (KSHB) — Brie Morgan Bauer’s story reached around the world.

The Overland Park mother gave birth at 27 weeks in February. She experienced complications, was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome and lost both of her arms and both of her legs.

Brie is sharing her journey with nearly 400,000 people on Instagram.

For more than four months since she’s been away, Brie’s neighborhood has been praying for her each day.

“I can’t say enough amazing things about her,” said Courtney Franke, a neighbor. “The fact that we can keep Brie and baby Beau is unbelievable and testament to her hanging in there everyday.”

The neighborhood planned meal trains and checked in on Brie’s family for months.

“The strongest people I know are mothers, honestly,” Franke said. “We just can’t wait to have her back.”

It isn’t just adults who are inspired by her fight.

“Even my small children come up to me and say, ‘If Brie did it, we can do it!'” said Ashley Blick, a neighbor.

In ways Brie may have never imagined, she gained a village.

“This journey started with tears and it’s gonna end with tears, but the tears we started with are a lot different than the tears we’re gonna end with,” Blick said.

They were there, neighbors and cheerleaders, as she returned home to her family on Tuesday.

That village will be there long after today.

“Forever letting her know we’re right next door, we’re right nearby,” Franke said. “If she needs us to watch the boys, if she needs us to help them do anything, there are so many people who will be there at the drop of a hat.”

Brie’s family asked for privacy as she gets used to being home.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with medical costs.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.