Skip to main content

A Different Outcome

I'm blue today.  Our family has been praying for the Edmondson family who just had fetal surgery, and the mom's contractions have not stopped.  Here's what the dad posted today on our Facebook fetal surgery group site:

SB family, two nights ago Emily started having contractions and they lasted through the morning. Doctors tried everything possible to keep her from going into labor yesterday morning, but the body does what the body wants to. I’m very sad to report Reese Isabella Edmondson was delivered at 2:29pm yesterday and passed away shortly after at 4:05pm. It was a very emotional day for Emily and I, but we were fortunate enough to be able to hold our baby girl until she passed. The odds and statistics were simply stacked against us today. She was delivered at 22 weeks 6 days. She was 13oz and 11 inches long. She has been such an inspiration to us these last few weeks and it’s comforting to know she is now in a better place and pain free. She was truly a fighter and didn’t give up easy. Thanks so much to each and every one of you for all of your support thus far...

I've never met this family, but my heart breaks for their loss.  Losing Baby Maggie is what Matt and I feared the most in doing the surgery.  My wish for these parents is that they don't feel guilt and think "what if".  I'm sure they weighed the options and struggled with such a huge decision.  Ultimately, they chose the surgery for the same reasons Matt and I did...to give our girl a jump start on an already difficult road ahead of her. 

Maggie will be 33 weeks in a few days.  Am I grateful enough?

This is the onesie that Emily gave her husband for Father's Day.



Comments

  1. Tears. Lots of tears. My heart breaks for this family as well. I'm sure it just hits way too close to home for you my dear friend! They will be in my thoughts and prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isn't it amazing how we come to love and be taught by these little ones, even before they are cradled in our arms?! We hurt for the Edmondson family as we take another deep breath.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Mille! How sad! My heart is breaking for them! It hits a little closer to home, doesn't it?! We will keep them in our prayers.

    Angee :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Mil! This is heart breaking, yet at the same time I'm so happy things are going well for you guys. You don't know how much I wish I could come hang out with you and the kids, cook you guys dinner and bring slumber party snacks and movies to cheer you up! I truly believe that the hardest life paths are reserved for the most special beings, which you are probably too humble to believe about yourself, but I do! If you are feeling bad, just tell yourself, "Bullis thinks I'm awesome..." Then laugh...

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is heartbreaking, just so sad. I have been thinking about you...hope you are doing ok....I'd love to help anytime with anything!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At The Moment

Josie was reluctant to go to school today.  Friday was her "worstest day ever" of kindergarten.  According to her account, nobody would play with her at recess.  "I would ask different girls but they said they wanted to play with somebody else."  Then on the bus ride home, a girl kept pulling her pigtails, sang a mean song making fun of her and yanked her backpack.  I asked Josie how she reacted.  Her response, "I just sat in the corner."   When Matt heard the story he said, "Nobody puts Josie in a corner."  Just like Patrick Swayze.  I think it's easier to say goodbye to a daughter being wheeled into an operating room than watch her venture into the great unknown of kindergarten. Speaking of surgery, we are still in limbo for Maggie's surgery... ETV-CVF .  We are scheduled for this Thursday, but I'll meet with the neurosurgeon on Wednesday and reevaluate whether or not we should proceed.  We don't know what to do...

Curve Ball

Maggie is out of surgery. Things did not go as planned. As the doctor put it, "she threw us for several curve balls." We could not do the ETV. Once in her brain, he discovered that it would be too risky to proceed because of her anatomy. From what we remember, her pituitary was too close to an artery. As they were pulling out, a blood vessel burst. They had to get that bleeding under control before sewing up that side of her head and cutting open the opposite side for a shunt. That's when the neurosurgeon called us to tell us the disappointing news that the ETV wouldn't work. He said he'd come back to visit us in 45 minutes once the shunt was placed. We always knew this was a possibility, but were told her anatomy was "perfect" for the ETV. Guess you can't judge a book by its cover, even with an MRI. Shunt surgeries are common, and it is rare to have serious complications. But two agonizing hours later, we were told what happened. Duri...

She's Here!

The c-section went beautifully, Maggie was delivered at 10:17. She's 6 lbs 13 oz and has a smattering of Davey's hair, my chin, Millie's voice, Kate's ears, and Josie's temperament. Her lungs seem pretty immature so she's in the Newborn ICU for now. Millie is back in her pre-op room and has not yet been able to really see Maggie. Immediately after delivering her the doctors whisked Maggie into the NICU in the adjoining room. I've been able to see her in there and have shown Millie the pictures. The lesion on her back looks good--it looks like a patch of skin covering what used to be the hole that was there. Her feet don't have any noticeable clubbing and she definitely has more sensation there than Davey did. We are so grateful that she is here.     Posted with Blogsy