Jackson (left) and Jonathon (right)
5 1/2 weeks old
| photos courtesy of family Jackson (left) and Jonathon (right) 5 1/2 weeks old |
| To those involved with TLL: This is a long overdue THANK YOU to all of you who dedicate time and effort to preemies. My sons were born 2 1/2 months early and we received hats and crotched blankets during our stay at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. Here is our story... I was shocked to learn at 20 weeks that I was expecting twins. This, my third pregnancy, had started like the others, with an early ultrasound that showed one baby. One was hiding!! I was even more shocked to learn four weeks later that I could expect these boys to die. At 24 weeks I was diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome - a horrible problem that happens in 5-10% of identical twin pregnancies where the placenta malfunctions and the babies are in great jeopardy. One baby becomes the donor (of blood, amniotic fluid, food, oxygen) and the other becomes the recipient. Both situations have severe outcomes and 100% of babies who do not receive aggressive treatment die. Of those that survive, only 5% of the pregnancies result in two healthy babies. Our odds were not good. By the grace of God, we endured 6 weeks of hospitalized bed rest and aggressive treatment at University Hospitals of Cleveland. We had our good days and bad days, and we knew the boys would most likely end up in the NICU. I knew that every 12 hours the boys remained in utero was one less day in the NICU. Luckily, Rainbow is one of the finest Level III NICU's there is, so we knew that once these boys were born, they would have the best care possible. Our constant belief in God made this time bearable as my husband cared for our daughters (then ages 3 1/2 and 11 months - yes, 11 months. These boys were a big surprise to us...if I had gone full term they would have been only 14 months younger than our second daughter.) On August 19, 1999, Jonathan's heart decided that he had enough. As the donor, he was under incredible stress each day, and this was the day he decided to be born. After a terrifying emergency C-section, Jonathan was born weighing in at 2lbs 14oz - 14 inches long. His brother Jackson followed two minutes later weighing in at 3lbs 7oz - 16 inches long. Both boys faced great obstacles. |
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| Jonathan wasn't breathing and was white as a sheet. He was immediately intubated and had a blood transfusion. His first 24 hours were so scary. He was transfused three times in those 24 hours, remained on a ventilator and we were given little hope for him. All we could do was pray and trust the neonatologists. Jackson was a little better off. Great color, was breathing with some assistance (C-PAP) but was having some drops in his heart beat. Since his heart had pumped all of the extra blood, he could be expected to have congestive heart failure. Both boys were in extremely critical condition. Here is where TLL first came into our lives...My husband was in the NICU that first night when he was offered a crotched blanket for each boy. Matt chose a brown blanket for Jackson and a gold blanket for Jonathan - our college colors (Baldwin Wallace College, where we met and fell in love). He was extremely touched and felt as if this was his first impression on the boys. Jackson also got his first crotched hat - multiple shades of blue. There were many hats for both boys in the days that followed. Each one created to keep that precious body heat in or to hold the breathing apparatus close to a tiny face. Those items added color to a sterile world and added a homemade touch to such a foreign place. I thank you. | |
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| We were not told of TLL. Just that a NICU nurse had a sister who worked with a group to make these things. Now I know that sister is Karen #2 - Karen Munro. I learned this when our local paper ran a front page story last fall. The boys did miraculously well. Ask any preemie parent how it was and they will sigh and tear up just thinking about those long days in the NICU. So many horrible roller coaster days - we are so blessed to have a positive outcome. The boys spent just over 6 weeks at Rainbow - incredible when they were born 11 weeks early. They came home before their due date. (And for the record, they were born 2 weeks before their sister turned one - so they are literally 50 weeks younger than her. We still laugh at the fact that we had 3 under the age of one for those two weeks!!!) | |
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| Jonathan fought like a tiger to catch up to his "chubby" brother. And Jackson had just enough heart rate drops to keep him in...I think he didn't want to go home without his brother!! Today they are 22 month old toddlers with a zest for life - jumping, running, babbling and keeping us hopping. They are perfectly healthy and developmentally caught up to their peers. They have no permanent damage from their prematurity. We thank God for them every day. And we also thank God for people like you who made our journey easier. The work that you do is so important - please continue. | |
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| I found your website after the newspaper article was written and saw that Region 4 was having a work day March 19th. I just had to stop in and take the boys. It was so nice to meet you. And to be able to say Thanks in person. As I sit here crying, it comes so easily now, I look forward to the day when I can help. With four kids under the age of 5 1/2, I find little time for myself but will not forget TLL. How could I? Again, thank you for the work you do. Sorry this is so long and so late. Sincerely, Sue Luck mom to Carrie, Kayle, Jonathan and Jackson Wickliffe, OH |
