It’s been a hard couple of weeks for Carlin Bates Stewart and her husband Evan.
In the most-recent vlog posted to their YouTube channel, the Bringing Up Bates stars revealed that Evan was recently fired from his electrician job, due to him having to take too much time off to care for Carlin. This is the second job Evan has lost this year. As The Ashley previously reported, UPtv cancelled ‘Bringing Up Bates’ unexpectedly in January, choosing not to air the eleventh season, which had already been filmed.
In addition, the couple stated that Carlin’s health has continued to suffer. As The Ashley previously reported, Carlin has been suffering from seizures since the birth of her son Zade earlier this year. She has passed out numerous times over the past few months, with one time resulting in her falling backward and getting a concussion.
The Stewarts dealt with some backlash from fans over the vlog, which included footage of Carlin on the ground seizing, while their toddler daughter Layla watches her shake. While the video received plenty of comments of prayer and support on social media, some fans criticized Evan for putting Carlin’s seizure footage online instead of simply sharing it with her doctors.
“Why do you have to show this? Poor Carlin needs help and privacy,” one person wrote to Evan.
“Why would you film that? Shows that you only care about views and not the actual human that is your wife!” someone else commented.
“So sad for Layla to see this. Someone should of moved her,” another follower wrote.
“Everyone on FB is freaking out that you posted this video of your wife in such a vulnerable state. Please consider removing that part,” another person commented.
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After the footage of Carlin seizing is shown, Evan and Carlin spoke out about Evan being fired from his job recently. They revealed that Evan had taken too much time off from his job to care for Carlin and had been let go after his Family And Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time ran out.
Evan— who recently finished up his schooling and became a journeyman—stated that he had to take the leave after Carlin’s doctors told her she could no longer drive or be left at home alone, due to her unpredictable seizures. It also leaves her unable to care for her kids alone.
“[I] need 24/7 someone watching [me],” Carlin said. “I sound like a baby.”
“She hates it because, like we said, 90 percent of the time she’s fine, but when she’s not you’ve got to make sure someone is there,” Evan added.
“It’s been three months [since Carlin’s health issues started] and it doesn’t feel like it has,” Evan said, adding that his company denied his request to have his FMLA time extended.
“All the FMLA at this point had been exhausted. So, pretty much, to be blunt, they would have to fire me. But that’s no shade to them; they were very sweet and everything but that’s just how it works. They would have to take me off their payroll so they did…I don’t blame them. They don’t want to keep somebody on their roster that can’t be there.”
Carlin clarified that Evan was not paid during the three months he was on FMLA. While he considered hiring a caretaker for Carlin and their kids while he got another job, Evan stated that it did not make sense financially for him to do so.
“I feel bad because I know he’s putting his life on hold in a sense for me,” Carlin said. “Because he’s worked five years to get his [journeyman] ticket and he’s worked really hard.”
“Once you get [the journeyman ticket], you have it…For now I just feel it’s best to freeze the ticket…I’ll still always going to be a journeyman wireman but I’m just not going to be working with it,” Evan added.
The Stewarts decided that Evan should join the staff at the Bates Sisters Boutique— the Rocky Top, Tennessee, clothing store that Carlin owns with her sister-in-law Whitney Bates.
“The boutique has been able to, like, hire him to help to fill in some of the gaps,” Carlin said. “So that’s helped us on the income basis.”
“So [I was] fired and hired in the same day!” Evan joked. “And my wife is my new boss.”
You can watch the full video below. (Once again, though, be forewarned that this video contains footage of a seizure.)
(Photos: YouTube, Instagram)
18 Responses
Carlin I love the show and sorry it was cancelled.
I want to suggest Chiropractic
care. It may not be brain or heart related. It may be from the spine.
I am not a doctor but I do see
a chiropractor and it keeps me well
It may be worth a try.
Hope you get well soon.
Wheres her mom she don’t work why not step up and help daughter. There so family orientated so they say
Posting a video of someone going through a seizure is just disgusting. Some of them can be extremely serious or life threatening. What a prick!
They need to get her to a top hospital instead of whatever they have in their rural hick area. Now that he isn’t working, they should ask family to watch their kids and schedule a consult in NY, DC, Boston, Chicago, and I’m sure they can find a diagnosis and treatment plan for her. I hate to say it but if they keep doing this “wait and see” thing, she’s going to end up losing her life. And no matter how much $ they make from social media and no matter how many family members she has, they can’t go forever with her needing him by her side 24/7. He’s got to get back to work at some point. I know they’re very religious and believe in the whole “God has a plan” thing, but this is life and death, and I have no doubt this can be figured out at a better hospital with more experienced specialists.
Why can’t one of her bazillion family members come watch her??
T up be fired over something like this truly shows how much people lack empathy. My husband got a new job a few months back. He was fired because of missing too many days. I had a miscarriage and needed him for me and to watch our child. We need more respect for others. It was only a couple days.
Sounds like non epileptic seizures triggered by stress and environmental factors
Its too bad she doesnt have a huge family so she’d have someone to take care of her if need be or run errands for her etc….
I wonder if they’ve tested her for postpartum preeclampsia, which, if left untreated, would lead to eclampsia (seizures). Most cases happen within 48 hours of birth, but can occur up to 6 weeks or longer after birth. Source: myself.. when I had my son in 2019, we got discharged on a Monday and I was back in the ER Tuesday night with a BP of 213/125. If they wouldn’t have gotten me started on magnesium sulfate so fast, I’d have had a seizure m/stroke or both. Most people think the risk is gone once baby is born. Not always.
They are so young and have two little kids at home. It must be very scary for them. I hope she can get a diagnosis and treatment soon