Erica's story

Hi my name is Erica and I'm 23. I became Pregnant December or 1997 During my pregnancy I was 20 and had a rough time with the baby's father.

Well I did my regular visits to the ob/gyn. (Now this was my first pregnancy) They found protein in my urine and I asked questions. They told me there was nothing to worry about! The next visit my blood pressure was very high. The nurse told me to lay on my left side and it will go down. I did so and it was still a bit high.
They told me there would be nothing to worry about. Then my next couple were the same with the blood pressure.I went in for another check-up I was 5 months. The doctor felt my stomach which wasn't much at all and right away asked me if I was eating. I replied of course I eat like a pig. The doctor told me the baby wasn't growing.

Now by this time I was upset. He kept repeating it to me like I had a problem hearing. I told him I want to know what's wrong with my baby. He told me he wanted me to come in to get an Ultrasound in 2 weeks.
I looked at him and told him you tell me my baby isn't growing and you want me to come in 2 weeks to find out what the problem is? I told him I wanted something done right now.

So I went home and got an appointment for the next day. I went in there and got ready the nurse did her thing and it was over I asked if she saw anything odd. She replied the doctor has to look over it. I knew the baby was alive because he had a normal heart rate. So I had to go home and wait a day to find out the results.
I get a call from another doctor in the practice to come in and talk. So by first response was something's wrong?

I was upset and didn't want to lose my baby. When I got there the doctor sat me down and talked to me about bad chromosomes and genes. I got really upset crying hysterically. The Dr. Referred me to a Dr who
specialises in this situation. I went in to met Dr. Smith and she sat me down and told me she was going to
be honest with what's going on. Basically the baby's insides where growing on the outside. I was horrified.
And was expected to go full term and then the baby would have to go through surgery when he/she was born.

She then to did an ultrasound but told me her equipment was a lot better then most. She seen nothing everything was normal. I was happy. That's the day I found out my Baby was a boy. But what concerned her was I didn't have much amniotic fluid. So I had to go to another hospital which was 2 hours away to get an
amniocenteses done and to add more fluid. I went through this process and was very scared. And after that day it was all down hill.

I was on my way back home from the procedure and started to get really bad pains in my back between my shoulder blades. I thought it was because of the ride. So when I got home I put a heating pad on my back. For a little bit it helped but the pain got worse like millions of knives were being stabbed in to me. I rested it off. And in the morning I couldn't eat I vomited everything up! even water I couldn't hold down. By the afternoon I got worried because bile started coming up. I freaked and told my mother to call the hospital.
I went in and was sent home. The next day it was worse I couldn't move or eat. I told my mother to call the Dr. Smith. I told her if something wasn't done the baby is going to die. I had a terrible feeling. I was rushed in again and tests were done and I had my first dose of Steroids in the middle of the night. I asked what it was for and the nurses told me it was for the baby's lungs.

Now I really have no idea what's going on and I was scared. The next day they moved me to another room and By the first couple of hours. The nurses were telling me I had to be transferred to another hospital
I asked what was going on? But no one would tell me I was being rushed into an ambulance and was going to a hospital that was 30 Minutes away.

When I got there I was seen by Dr. Smith she was talking about things I didn't understand I said hold on what's wrong ? She said no one told you? I said No! I asked the nurses the Dr. and no one would tell me.
They would just start talking in terms I couldn't understand. Dr. Smith said I have pre-eclampsia which is also known as Toxemia. And what caused my back to hurt so bad was my liver it was going to explode. When she did another ultrasound my placenta had just deteareated. I was at my breaking point scared, mad, everything you name it. I was told I had to have a c-section done ASAP. I was bit scared because basically The baby was a month behind on growth. So he was 4 or 41/2 months and I was going into my 6th month.
The Dr who was performing the section told me there was a slight chance he would live. And if I let things go I would die also.

Boy, that moment I can't remember what he said after that I was lost somewhere else. All I kept hearing myself say was WHY ME?

After 2 days of being a human pin Cushion. On June 13th 1998 I got prepped for delivery and was basically put out. When I awoke I was told I gave birth to a 1 lb 0 ozs at 24 weeks Gest. Baby boy he was 11 1/4 in length and was on a vent to breath for 5 weeks because his lungs were under developed. But my mother told me all she heard was a little cry like a kitten crying. He was in a incubator for over 2 month's.

He came home September 16, 98 with oxygen weighing 4 1/2 Pds. He was on the oxygen for 6 months after coming home. He got off of the oxygen in March of 1999. So he was on oxygen a total of 10 months.

Now he's 31/2 years old. He has got ADHD and asthma. He is a little short but catching up gracefully,
And a little behind with learning but I thank god he's alive. He had a will to survive!

Brendan Connor-Vincent is my Sun Shine!

Miracle Baby!!

I'm pleased to share this miracle story!

Erica