The magic of Connor’s Gingerbread House will come alive this weekend in Cary as a way to celebrate the holidays and as a way to remember a little boy’s journey into life and all those who helped him.

When Connor Stevens was born five years ago, he almost didn’t survive.

His health problems weren’t immediately detected after the normal pregnancy and C-section delivery; he’d appeared healthy, and so the nurse took Connor to the room to meet his father, his two older brothers, and his grandparents while his mom was still in the operating room. His oldest brother, Nick, 14 at the time, was holding him when Connor stopped breathing and turned blue. The nurse rushed Connor to the special care nursery where he was placed in an oxygen bubble. Still, the baby’s condition continued to deteriorate, and he had to be placed on a ventilator and transferred by a medical team to the WakeMed Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. There were tubes and IVs going in him all over his body, and it was days before a diagnosis could be made. Connor was eventually diagnosed with coronary hypertension, which doctors immediately began treating.

He began to show progress, but his condition was still too unstable for his brothers to visit him in the NICU.

However, Nick and Jeffrey, age 9 at the time, constantly sent pictures and notes to decorate their baby brother’s hospital room. The parents, Craig and Julie, took lots of pictures and made photo albums to share with their friends and family. As the NICU worked its own brand of magic, Connor continued to improve. The family’s goal was to have him home for the Super Bowl, in which the Carolina Panthers happened to be playing that year. In a houseful of guys, what better way to welcome the new brother than on the day of the big game! Connor was released from the hospital on Super Bowl Sunday and got home just in time for kick-off. The family, of course, was overjoyed.

Connor will turn 5 years old on Jan. 20. He’s an active little boy who has always loved trains and tries to keep up with his two older brothers. His health has been excellent ever since he left the NICU that day.

“Our family will always be grateful for the care Connor received as well as for the support and expression of concern we received from the doctors and nurses at WakeMed during that emotional time,” said his mom, Julie.

Recently 15-year-old Jeffrey decided to organize a project in honor of Connor that would benefit the NICU at WakeMed. He came up with the idea of Connor’s Gingerbread House, a Christmas event where children can come to tell their wishes to Santa and hear Santa’s elves read Christmas stories. Julie and her husband Craig were proud when Jeffrey came down the stairs one day in October and told them of his plans. She said, “Craig and I were ecstatic when he approached us about his idea of doing a project that would give back to Wake Med for all they did for us.”

It was an emotional moment for Jeffrey’s parents when he told them his idea. Julie laughed and remarked, “You don’t always expect something like that from boys!”

Jeffrey designed and built the gingerbread house himself and wrote letters to family and friends to get initial support. He wrote, “Without the support, care and determination of the WakeMed NICU staff, Connor may not be here today. I have always wanted to do something to show my appreciation and to give back to this great group of doctors and nurses. I thought this was a perfect opportunity to show how great the WakeMed NICU is and how thankful I am for them.”

Jeffrey hopes to make this an annual event and to also make this his graduation project so that he can spend lots of time working on it throughout the next several years.

The first annual Connor’s Gingerbread House will take place Friday, Dec. 19, and Saturday, Dec. 20, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Stevens’ home located at 200 Sarazen Meadow Way off Morrisville Parkway. There will also be Christmas songs complete with karaoke and cookies. A donation box will be available with all donations going to the NICU at WakeMed.

Donations can also be sent to Connor’s Elves, 200 Sarazen Meadow Way, Cary, NC 27513 — please make checks out to Connor’s Elves. Christmas is indeed a time of miracles. Jeffrey says, “Together we can remind the medical staff at WakeMed of the miracle they provided to my family, our friends, and my little brother.”