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About $5,000 was raised Saturday at a fundraiser to launch the Eden Rose Foundation established by the Lockard and Franzen families.

The foundation was established in 2021 after the death of Tyler and Molly Franzen Lockard's daughter Eden Rose.

According to information on the Eden Rose Foundation website, Eden Rose Lockard was born on Monday, June 7, 2021, at 7:31 a.m. to parents Tyler and Molly (Franzen) Lockard at a Wyoming regional health hospital. She was 39 weeks in utero, weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

Eden immediately suffered pulmonary hypertension and had to be intubated due to insufficient oxygen going through her lungs/blood. A bordering state's life flight was dispatched to Wyoming to transport and was unable to get their portable equipment to function. This team was desperately trying to save Eden's life, but without training and equipment to perform an infant echocardiogram, they were not successful in diagnosing her properly and could do no more. Another, higher level bordering state's flight team was dispatched, but by the time of arrival, Eden's heart wasn't strong enough to make the transfer to their equipment.

Eden's family was blessed with just over 7 hours with her, before she went to her heavenly home at 2:44 p.m.

Her family created this foundation with a mission to raise funds to provide Wyoming hospitals with neo-natal equipment, training and resources to diagnose infant medical issues. The Foundation's purpose will also provide their families with relief during last-minute flights to bordering states among other expenses associated with infant medical emergencies.

Tyler Lockard said the idea for the foundation was generated about a week after Eden's death.

"We were so distraught, in the fact that there wasn't the proper medical equipment for our daughter. We did go through the grieving processes, anger and all that and the process, and we finally said, 'fine, if you don't have the proper equipment, we will give you the proper equipment."

Per the Foundation website, "At the Eden Rose Foundation, our mission is to transform heartache into hope, and adversity into action. We are committed to ensuring that no family in Wyoming faces the challenges we once did. Through unwavering dedication, we strive to provide small Wyoming medical facilities with essential, neonatal equipment, training, and resources, empowering them to diagnose and address infant medical issues promptly.

"With compassion as our driving force, we aim to uplift families during their most vulnerable moments, providing financial relief for unexpected travel and ensuring they find solace in a community of support."

He said the Foundation is working with a radiologist who has offered to volunteer his time for training as hospitals receive the equipment, including echocardiograms for infants.

While the Foundation was set up in 2021, Lockard noted it was not used much. Then on Aug. 4, the Lockards' son Brody was born with the same condition. Because of Eden's death, Molly's pregnancy was treated as a high-risk pregnancy with multiple ultrasounds and testing, which did not reveal the pulmonary hypertension.

"After my son was born a couple of weeks ago it pretty much confirmed that if Eden would have had the support system and diagnostic equipment she would have made it. They had the exact same condition," Lockard said.

He added that doctors do not know what causes it. "It's kind of dumbfounded them," he said. The Lockards do have a healthy 5-year-old daughter Lucy.

"The basis of the foundation is if we can provide small hospitals including even Wyoming regional hospitals with some of equipment and training they don't have, specifically echocardiogram for infants and support equipment that my son went on, a high frequency oscillator."

He said as far as the Lockards and their bills, he has decent insurance and the family committed that 100% of funding from Saturday's fundraiser at Bomber Mountain Bar Bell Club, would go to the Foundation to help other families like them.

Molly Lockard is the president of the foundation, Tyler is vice president, Molly's parents Shawn and Melanie Franzen are directors and Molly's sister, Lacey Shaffer is the chief financial officer. He said all officers were beside Eden during her seven hours of her life.

Regarding Brody, Tyler said he is doing good and is only on oxgen at night but they are hopeful he will be off oxygen for good by the end of this week. Tyler said they got home with Brody on Aug. 22.

"There should not be prolonged effect but since the doctors don't know what caused it, even through geno testing, he could have an issue overnight; we're praying and hoping that does not happen," Tyler said.

While Brody is on oxygen they monitor to help them make sure Brody's oxygen does not plummet.

"From doctors' perspective and ours he's a normal baby, he's starting to gain weight and doing well," he said.

Donations may be made via PayPal, physically or over the phone at Sunlight Federal Credit Union in Worland, to the "Eden Rose Foundation" account. Donations may also be mailed to PO Box 524 or 3200 Canyon Ridge Way in Worland, WY 82401.