Donovan at 7 months

 

My Mommy and Daddy started trying to have me in November of 2000. In January of 2001, Mommy had a feeling that something was different. She went to the store and bought 2 pregnancy tests. She took the first one, POSITIVE!! She then called her best friend, Donita, to make sure that she was reading it right. Mommy then took the second one and, you guessed it, POSITIVE!! That means that I was on my way!! After taking the pregnancy tests, Mommy put the tests in a bag with a camoflauge bib that reads "Daddy's Baby Deer" and took the bag to Daddy's work to surprise him. He was speechless!!!

My Mommy and Daddy had fun while Mommy was pregnant. They always laughed and had a good time. Mommy's pregnancy with me was pretty good for the first couple months. Then something was discovered.

Mommy's First Ultrasound!! This ultrasound was supposed to be a routine one. They were supposed to look at me and say that everything was ok. Well, the doctors discovered that I had clubbed feet and that I had a lemon-shaped head. These were signs of Spina Bifida. This scared Mommy and Daddy. After the ultrasound, Mommy and Daddy decided to have an amniocentesis. That is where they stuck a big needle in my Mommy's tummy and took fluid from around me. This test would tell the doctors whether or not they were right. Once the test results came back, they said that they were positive. That meant that I had Spina Bifida. Mommy and Daddy decided to go to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to have my back fixed.

On June 11, 2001, Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Rich, and Grandma Debbie traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to have the surgery done to fix my back. This was on a Sunday that they arrived there. They stayed at the Shoney Inn. The first two days that Mommy and Daddy went to the hospital, they asked them alot of questions. They also gave Mommy steroid shots in case that I were born during surgery.

Vanderbilt is a miracle hospital!! Without the wonderful doctors and nurses here, they would not have been able to fix my back!! I am forever thankful for those angels!!

On Tuesday, August 14, 2001, Mommy had to go to the hospital because her water broke!! Grandma Debbie had to take her to St. Elisabeth's hospital. Daddy was at work, so he had to meet Mommy there. The nurses and Mommy's doctor, Dr. Midkiff, tried to stop me from coming into the world!! They tried all nite to give Mommy medicine to stop the labor.

The next morning, at about 8:30, the nurses came in and told Mommy that if this last dose of medicine does not stop me from coming, then, they would do a c-section to deliver me at 12:30 that afternoon!!

Well, you guessed it!! I wanted out!! At 11:30 Mommy's doctor came in and said that Mommy was 2 cm dialated and that the labor wouldn't stop!! They prepped Mommy for the delivery shortly after.

Now remember!! I was only 33 WEEKS old!!

Daddy came with Mommy into the delivery room. It didn't take very long because at 12:50 I came into the world!! I even screamed to let Mommy know that I was ok!!

My doctors and nurses let me see my Mommy and she cried. Daddy wheeled me down to the NICU and my family got to see me too!!

My APGAR scores were 6 and 8!! That is good!! They even ran gas tests on me to make sure that I could breathe ok. I guess I passed because I didn't need a ventilator!!

I spent 12 days in the NICU of St. Elisabeth's hospital. I did really well and the nurses all loved me!! They even signed my scrapbook that my Mommy is making for me!! Those 12 days were pretty rough!! I had monitors hooked up to me and I had to be tube fed for awhile till I learned how to eat on my own!! Before I left, I had to have a "carseat" test to make sure that I was ok riding in the car on the way home. I passed with flying colors!!

I was never more glad to come home!! I came home on August 27, 2001!! Mommy and Daddy celebrated that day!!

   

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-The support, information and encouragement provided by the PPFL parents is not meant to take the place of medical advice by a medical professional. Any specific questions about care should be directed to a health care professional familiar with the situation.