Whitney Bates' Son Is 'Improving' After 'Heartbreaking' Right Lung Collapse

Whitney Bates’ 3-day-old son, Jadon, was intubated and put on a ventilator after his oxygen levels dropped — read more

On the mend. Whitney Bates’ fourth child, Jadon, is “steadily improving” in the NICU three days after his birth.

“We want to thank you all so much for the many prayers you have prayed for little Jadon and for your words of support and encouragement,” the Bringing Up Bates star, 27, captioned a Thursday, June 10, Instagram photo. “We want to give a quick update on his condition. Last night, little J had a rough night. His oxygen levels continued dropping, and his right lung collapsed. They intubated and put him on a ventilator. He has a little chest tube on the side of his chest for the collapse. We called family and prayed, and thankfully God heard the many prayers going up! Today, Jadon … looks so much more peaceful.”

The UPtv personality want on to write that watching her infant “struggle to breathe” was a “heartbreaking” experience. “Now to see the turnaround this morning was a miracle! We are incredibly grateful for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and for all of the work they have poured into our baby boy. We have been blessed with the kindest doctors and nurses who are always smiling, always willing to take the time to explain every step, and they even stopped to pray with us in the scary moments. Times like these really show us how big our God is and how fragile and small we really are. They also make us very grateful for the people God places in our life that encourage us during those difficult times.”

Us Weekly exclusively announced Jadon’s arrival on Wednesday, June 9, with hospital photos.

“After months of waiting on our special boy, finally meeting Jadon face to face was all we dreamed it would be and more,” the reality star told Us. “There’s no way to describe the feeling and emotions we felt when we first held him in our arms. He is perfect in every way. Shortly after birth, his O2 levels dropped, and he was transferred to NICU at East TN Children’s Hospital. As of right now, he is stable and responding to treatment. They will continue treatment, running tests, and monitoring until he is strong enough to come home.”

She and her husband, Zach Bates, received support from his family members in the comments. “PRAYING SO HARD FOR LITTLE MAN! Y’all are so strong! Sending lots of hugs your way!!” pregnant Carlin Bates wrote, while Lawson Bates added, “He’s a little fighter, and we’re ALL praying for his swift recovery.”

Whitney exclusively told Us ahead of Jadon’s birth that “two more” kids would be ideal, joking that 19, like mother-in-law Kelly Jo Bates, sounds “a little high.”

Keep scrolling to see Whitney and Zach spending time with their newborn in the NICU.