Showing posts with label steroids. Show all posts
Riegelsberger Family
Family Story Assets (Word Document, Photos)
Click here to download
Click here to download
Before February 2012, I was
familiar with March of Dimes, but had no idea of the profound impact the
research and results this Organization is responsible for, would have on my
family.
Knowing that identical twins
are high risk, our pregnancy was watched very closely with weekly ultrasounds
and extensive in uterine testing such as echocardiograms and kidney
assessments. Both girls were growing quite well and the pregnancy was going as planned
when at 26 weeks gestation, one twin, Claire, appeared to slow down
significantly in growth progress.
The doctors watched this very
closely for two weeks until the situation appeared to turn dire at 28 weeks. At
this time, the ultrasound indicated that Claire had a condition indicating she
had lack of nutrients and oxygen at intermittent moments from her umbilical
cord. We were immediately sent to Good Sam hospital where I would be on bedrest
for the remainder of my pregnancy in hopes that the girls would get to at least
32 weeks gestation.
At the hospital, we were
informed that Claire’s diagnosis results in stillbirth 25% of the time and that
the girls would be monitored twice a day to assess breathing, lung activity,
and heartrate activity. During the initial few days in the hospital, I received
two steroid injections to help accelerate the girls’ lung
development. The expectation was that Claire would reach a point of
stress which would indicate her chances of survival would be better outside of
the womb than remaining in the womb.
That situation occurred after 12 days in
the hospital; the girls were delivered via emergency C-section at 29 weeks and
4 days on February 28, 2012. Emmy weighed 3.0 pounds and Claire weighed 2.0
pounds, spending 42 days and 57 days in the Good Sam NICU, respectively. The
girls were on ventilators for the first 16 hours of life and both received
Surfactant therapy during that time.
Both Emmy and Claire developed
a PDA, or an unclosed hole in their aorta, as a result of their prematurity.
While Emmy’s closed on its own, Claire continued under cardiac care to follow
the progress of hers in hopes it would also close on its own. Unfortunately it
did not and Claire underwent cardiac catheter surgery at 18 months old to
install a device in her heart to close the hole.
The surgery was successful and
today Claire is considered “cured”.
Today, Emmy and Claire are
happy, healthy, energetic 3-year-olds that have amazing futures ahead
of them.
Had the girls not received life-saving Surfactant therapy,
which was funded through a partnership with March of Dimes, the outcome could
have been devastating. Due to support and funding from March of
Dimes supporters and donors, my hope is that all families that have to
experience prematurity can have the same positive outcome.
Thank you, from our Family, for
supporting the March of Dimes and giving every baby a fighting chance.
Demello Family
Family Story Assets (Word Document, Photos)
Click here to download
Click here to download
At 25 weeks 5 days I was admitted to the high risk floor of
our local hospital.
I stayed there until my boys were born at 28 weeks and 6
days. In those 3 weeks in the hospital I received two doses of life saving
steriods to mature my twins' lungs.
My boys were born almost 12 weeks early
weighing only 2.5lbs each. We had a nicu stay of 72 and 112 days and while it
was a less bumpy road than some travel down it was the hardest thing I have
ever had to do.
I think, no I KNOW that the March of Dimes had a hand in saving
my miracles lives in those very trying first few months. Immediately after
birth my boys received lifesaving surfactant that allowed then to actually be
extubated at only 6 hours old and then move to a nasal cannula only 24 hours
after that.
We wouldn't be where we are today with two amazing, healthy,
THRIVING 3 year olds without the amazing staff at our hospital and the amazing
research the March of Dimes has conducted.
