Couple’s new single celebrates a year of miracles leading to daughter's birthday

The Hopeful Few released their debut single “Say You’ll Stay” on Friday in celebration of those tiny miracles that led to Mia’s first birthday and the hope that brought them through trying times. The song is widely available on streaming platforms.

Mia was 1 pound 13 ounces when she was born March 17, 2022. Her chances at making it home without serious health problems were slim.

“Mia doesn’t have any of those problems. That’s one of those millions of miracles,” Kelsie said. “It honestly is a miracle, and it doesn’t make real sense on how she doesn’t have any health problems at all.”

Tyler and Kelsie have been married and performing together for around 10 years.

“We spent the majority of our marriage trying to have a baby and dealing with the ups and downs of infertility,” Tyler said.

When they found out Kelsie was pregnant, the couple was overjoyed. But during the 27th week, Kelsie went into labor.

“We were rushed to a local emergency room and then carted by ambulance to Houston,” Tyler said.

Mia came into the world on St. Patrick’s Day, and spent the next 110 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“We brought her home from the hospital on July Fourth,” Tyler said. “She’s a very celebration-oriented baby.”

Through those four long months in the hospital, a sense of community, faith and music, kept the young family strong.

“We’re faith-based people. We put our faith in God and constantly point our eyes to the truth,” Kelsie said. “He had a plan for us and was in control.”

Both parents are staff members of Timber Creek Church’s Nacogdoches campus, where Kelsie is worship director and Tyler is associate pastor.

“Music was a big source of hope for us,” Tyler said. “The nurses told us we were the first set of parents to ever bring a guitar into the NICU.”

The Hopeful Few will continue to release singles throughout the year. Tyler plays guitar. Kelsie plays piano. Both sing, though Tyler says his wife’s voice is “the special thing about the music.”

“We think that we’ve cultivated a cohesive library of music that spans multiple genres,” he said.

For more information about The Hopeful Few or to see upcoming performances visit tinyurl.com/TheHopefulFew.