Bringing Up Bates Alum Erin Bates Is “On the Road to Recovery” After Septic Shock Battle
Erin Bates Paine is on the mend.
The former Bringing Up Bates star has been transferred to a new hospital after suffering complications stemming from the birth of her seventh baby, according to her husband Chad Paine.
“Recovery is not fast or easy, but we are deeply thankful for every small step forward,” he wrote on Instagram Sept. 9. “It has completely broken my heart to watch my Erin walk through such pain, yet to see her lifting her voice in praise to the Lord in the midst of it has been nothing short of inspiring.”
Praising the “kindness and gratefulness she demonstrates to those taking care of her,” Chadāwho shares kids Carson, 10,Ā Brooklyn, 8,Ā Everly, 7,Ā Holland, 5,Ā Finley, 3,Ā William, 22 months, and Henry, 2 weeks, with Erināsaid that his wife of 11 years has been “a light wherever she goes.”
Now, Chad noted that there’s a new team of doctors who are “working together to help her improve”Ā following her septic shock diagnosis.
“The nurses have been so compassionate and have become like family to us,” the patriarch continued, adding that he and Erin “miss our babies more than words can say” as they navigate this new chapter in her road to recovery.
Erin’s health crisis began on Aug. 25, when her “labor was longer and more intense than previous births” in welcoming her youngest son Henry, according to Chad.
“Erin developed a severe UTI and kidney infection,” he wrote in aĀ Sept. 1 Instagram post, “which sent her into septic shock.”
Instagram/Erin Bates
The 34-year-old was admitted to the ICU, where Chad said she “spent hours only half conscious.”Ā
āAs her husband, it is one of the hardest things Iāve ever facedāto sit by her side and watch her struggle while being so helpless to ease her suffering,ā he added at the time. “I love her more deeply than words can express, and I can’t even imagine life without my best friend.”
For a closer look at the Bates family, read on.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Gil Bates & Kelly Bates
South Carolina state wrestling champ William Gilvin āGilā BatesĀ met lab assistant Kelly Bates (nĆ©e Callaham) at South Carolina Christian liberal arts school Anderson University, when she was tasked with tutoring him in Chemistry. Proving they had plenty of it, he proposed in October 1987, while they were finishing up college at Tennesseeās Carson-Newman University. Marrying just two months later, the couple didnāt intend on having a large brood, but neither believed in birth control. āWe both came to the conclusion that we just wanted to trust God with how many children we had,ā Gil told Dateline in 2011, admitting they assumed theyād cap out at two or three.
Eldest son Zachary BatesĀ was born a year after their wedding; their 19thĀ childāsonĀ Jeb Batesāarrived in 2012. As for rattling off the names of their oversized brood, Kelly joked of Gil, who runs excavating company Bates Tree Service, “Oh, Daddy’s good at that. His memory’s better than mine.”
Zach and Whitney Bates/Facebook
Zachary Bates
Like his siblings, Zachary (born Dec. 30, 1988) was homeschooled and a dedicated student of Bill Gothard’s Institute in Basic Life Principles. Though his courtship with Sarah ReithĀ was captured on 19 Kids and CountingĀ it was future wife Whitney Perkins who captured his heart while working as a Sonic carhop. He proposed two months after the two started a courtship in 2013, marrying that December. (John-David DuggarĀ served as one of the groomsmen. The couple went on to welcome sons BradleyĀ (in October 2014) and JaydenĀ (in June 2021) and daughters KaciĀ (in June 2016), KhloĆ©Ā (in November 2019) and Lily JoĀ (in August 2023).
In addition to working for the family tree business, Zachary has served as a police officer, a county commissioner and a real estate agent.
Michael Keilen/Instagram
Michaela Bates Keilen
Arriving 13 months after her older brother on Jan. 23, 1990, Michaela Bates KeilenĀ learned to sew as a child, stitching together most of the familyās dresses and overseeing the laundry. With future husband Brandon KeilenĀ unable to propose until he graduated from bible college, they courted for two years before their April 2015 engagement.
Settling in Chicago after their wedding that August, the pair struggled to build a family, with Michaela detailing her fertility strugglesĀ in blog posts and on YouTube. After suffering a miscarriage in 2021, they became foster parents for two young boys. Ā
Instagram/Erin Bates
Erin Bates Paine
āLooking back on my childhood and the way that my parents raised me, I canāt think of anything that was negative,ā Erin Bates Pain (who joined the fam on May 2, 1991) told People. “Everything, looking back, is really positive, and we made the best memories.āĀ
While they didnāt have a television āwe substituted that for playtime with dad,ā she continued. āOr, you know, playing games as a family or making memories. So, I donāt feel like we missed out on anything and, actually, I think we were smarter because of it.ā
Which meant that after she married Charles “Chad” Stephen Paine IIIĀ in 2013, they were eager for a big brood of their own. A blood clotting disorder let to several miscarriages before they were able to welcome CarsonĀ in May 2015, BrooklynĀ in August 2016, EverlyĀ in May 2018, HollandĀ in November 2019 and FinleyĀ in January 2022. And though she believed they wouldnāt be able to have more children, they went on to grow their family with WilliamĀ in October 2023 and Henry in August 2025. Revealing that Erin had gone into septic shock following Henryās delivery, Chad wrote on Instagram. “We would so appreciate your prayers for Erin as she continues to recover from some complications.ā
Lawson Bates/Instagram
Lawson Bates
A young entrepreneur who opened his own lawn-cutting business Lawsonās Lawncare at 13, Lawson Bates (born July 27, 1992) was linked to Jana Duggar after commenting on a few of her Instagram posts. But he announced his engagement to Tiffany Espensen after he proposed during an October 2021 getaway to Italy. “Getting to know Tiffanyāher heart, her passions, and her dreamsā has been the greatest joy of my life,ā the singer-songwriter told People at the time, āand we have been making so many wonderful memories together over the past year.ā
Wed on a yacht off the coast of San Diego in May 2022, the couple suffered a miscarriage before welcoming son William in July 2024. Less than a year later, they revealed baby No. 2 was on the way. Ā
Esther Bates/Instagram
Nathan Bates
Kenneth Nathaniel “Nathan” BatesĀ joined the fam on Aug. 29, 1993. Though he featured his courtship with Ashley SalyerĀ on Bringing Up Bates, he would later get engaged to Esther KeyesĀ in May 2021. Married that October (sharing their first kiss at the altar like many of his siblings), they welcomed daughter KennaĀ a year later. Son GrahamĀ came along in October 2024. Wanting to be a preacher at a young age, heās served by going on a number of mission trips and working as a first responder.
Alyssa Webster/Instagram
Alyssa Bates Webster
Born on Nov. 9, 1994, Alyssa Bates WebsterĀ was the familyās secretary and clothes shopper along with preparing many of their meals. Working on Florida Congressman Daniel Webster‘s campaign for the United States House of Representatives, she met his son John Webster. Engaged in January 2014 (they celebrated the betrothal at Orlandoās Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse), they wed that May. The Florida-based pair welcomed daughter AlliĀ in April 2015, LexiĀ in January 2017, ZoeyĀ in March 2018 and MaciĀ in February 2021 and son RhettĀ in March 2023.
Bobby andTori Smith/Instagram
Tori Bates Smith
Arriving 12 months after her older sister on Dec. 20, 1995, Tori Bates SmithĀ began courting Bobby SmithĀ in 2016, their romance featured on the familyās reality series. Married months after their engagement, in December 2017, the Crown College of the Bible elementary education grad and Bobby welcomed son Robert IVĀ in November 2018, followed by son KolterĀ in May 2020, daughter CharlotteĀ in June 2021, daughter CambreeĀ in August 2022 and son WestonĀ in May 2024.
Lydia Romeike Bates/Instagram
Trace Bates
With a name meaning harvester of the white fields, Trace BatesĀ arrived on Feb. 1, 1997. Following a televised courtship with Chaney Kahle, he was introduced to future wife Lydia RomeikeĀ through sister Josie Bates Balka. They shared their March 2022 engagement on YouTube (āI just know that Lydia is my best friend, and she’s the most positive thing in my life,ā he detailed) and wed in front of 350 guests (including Jason Duggar, who served as an usher) that October. Son RykerĀ joined the family in October 2023. In June 2025, they welcomed their rainbow baby, daughter Kaia.
Carlin (Bates) Stewart/Instagram
Carlin Bates Stewart
Born on April 11, 1998, Carlin Bates StewartĀ graduated from high school alongside brother Trace after taking dual enrollment at a local college. Sister Erin introduced her to Evan Stewart, the couple announcing their engagement in September 2018. Married the following May (with Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth as a bridesmaid), they welcomed daughter LaylaĀ in January 2020, with the birth featured on Bringing Up Bates. Son Zade arrived in March 2022 and the pair announced the impending arrival of their third in February 2025.
Josie Balka/Instagram
Josie Bates Balka
Gil and Kellyās 10thĀ child arrived on Aug. 4, 1999. She befriended future husband Kelton BalkaĀ after they met at a 2014 piano recital, but the two didnāt begin courting until 2017. Engaged in June 2018 in a proposal featured on-camera, they married that October, again, as cameras rolled. Daughter WillowĀ arrived in July 2019, with daughter HazelĀ following in June 2021. Son MilesĀ joined the group in February 2024 and the pair announced they were expecting again in April 2025.
Katie Clark/Instagram
Katie Bates Clark
Arriving on Oct. 5, 2000, Katie Bates ClarkĀ was bestowed with a name meaning pure grace. Announcing her romance with Travis ClarkĀ in a 2019 Facebook Live, she revealed their oceanside engagement in April 2021. Married that December, they began growing their family with the February 2023 arrival of daughter HaileyĀ and the September 2024 arrival of son Harvey. Graduating from The Crown College with a cosmetology license, sheās worked as a stylist for her sister Josie’s company, Effortless Beauty and a model for Bates Sisters Boutique.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Jackson Bates
One of the so-called three musketeers alongside Warden BatesĀ and Isaiah Bates, Jackson BatesĀ made his arrival on Feb. 17, 2002. He met future wife Emerson WellsĀ at a rodeo in Florida, announcing their engagement in March 2023. Married that October (Jason Duggar was a groomsman), they welcomed son DavidĀ in July 2025.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Warden Bates
Nicknamed āTiggerā due to his bouncy nature, Warden (born May 19, 2003) loves sports and singing. Heās juggled work with both his dadās excavating business and brother-in-law Chadās Paine Construction business.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Isaiah Bates
The third of the musketeers arrived on Oct. 16, 2004. Working for both his dad and brother-in-law Chad, The Crown College grad (he received his one-year Bible Certificate for Foundation of Christian Life in 2023) opened his own lawn care business in 2022.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Addallee Bates
Spending time in the NICU after her Feb. 17, 2006 birth, Addalee Bates struggled with breathing complications due to her premature birth and wears hearing aids. Her parents added several extra letters to her name to remind her of her second chance at life. She completed her one-year bible program in 2025.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Ellie Bates
With a name meaning strong light, Ellie BatesĀ joined the crew on April 28, 2007. She often poses in photo shoots for Bates Sisters Boutique.
The Bates Family/Facebook
Callie-Anna Bates
The youngest of Gil and Kellyās daughters, Callie-Anna BatesĀ was born on Aug. 2, 2009. The āmost animatedā of their crew, as Kelly put it on Instagram in August 2020, āPeople are drawn to you like a magnet!”
The Bates Family/Instagram
Judson Bates
Since Jud Batesā Sept. 15, 2010 arrival, heās āgrown in the blink of an eye,ā Kelly wrote in a December 2020 Instagram post. Though he has had a few setbacks, breaking his right collarbone twiceāonce playing football and another riding his e-bike.
The Bates Family/Instagram
Jeb Bates
Completing the family, Jeb Bates was born on Feb. 1, 2012 and spent some time in the NICU. āYou would think with your 19th child, you wouldnāt get excited and nervous,ā Gil told PeopleĀ at the time. āBut I was as nervous with this baby as I was with our first.ā
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