- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Preemies
Given only 5% chance to survive - my miracle!
I have a preemie. My daughter, Ellery was fighting for her
life before she was even born. Ellery HAD to be
born early in order for doctors to save her. When I was 30 weeks
pregnant, we
discovered our baby girl was critically ill with rare and
life-threatening conditions called Hydrops Fetalis and Congenital
Chylothorax. She had fluid throughout her little body, but most
critically around her heart and lungs. Doctors made a critical and
important decision to take her out when I was 33 weeks and one day
pregnant due to the fluid building up more in her, as well as myself as I
had been diagnosed with polyhydramnios, too much amniotic fluid in me
as a result of Ellery's Hydrops. September 30th, 2008, my baby entered
the world blue, limp and not able to take a breath as fluid surrounded
her lungs, not allowing them to expand. A neonatal intensive care unit
team was waiting in the next operating room, waiting to try to save
Ellery's life. They performed an emergency thoracentesises, where
syringes sucked 14 ounces of fluid from Ellery's chest to allow her
lungs to inflate. She was place on the oscillating ventilator (for the
most critical patients), and after 25 minutes was stable enough to move
to the NICU. Ellery had two chest tubes and was intubated for 12 days.
She battled jaundice, extremely low blood pressure, pulmonary
hypertension, pneumothorax, had multiple blood transfusions and more.
She was only given a 5% chance to survive, as Hydrops carries a
mortality rate of up to 98%. Ellery endured a 28 day NICU stay, along
with four PICU stays. She came home on oxygen, high flow, diuretics,
prevacid for severe reflux and in a danny sling (to elevate her crib).
She received a clean bill of health on February 12, 2009.
Ellery is alive today and doing marvelously well! She is 17
months old, and you would never know she was a critically ill, premature
baby. The only thing holding her back is a gross motor delay, from
what we believe was just being so sick and lying flat in a bassinet for
months. But we try to look at the big picture and see she is alive and
thriving, despite having only a 5% chance to survive! Miracles DO
Happen, I hold one every day!
You can read more of Ellery's miraculous story at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/ellerycase
We're raising money for the March of Dimes, March for Babies as
Ellery was named the 2010 St. Paul Ambassador Baby! 
March of Dimes
provided a grant to fund the development of Nitric Oxide, a life-saving
therapy to treat pulmonary hypertension. Ellery received this therapy
in her first hours of life, and WOULD NOT be here if she did not have
the therapy. We are so grateful for the March of Dimes and all the work
they do for babies! We are thrilled and honored to represent them!
Anyone is welcome to learn more, walk with us or donate at https://www.marchforbabies.org/ellerysmom
I invite everyone to participate in March for Babies! It's a
wonderful and fun event to help all babies have a healthy start! The
mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
Heidi Case - Wyatt and Ellery's mom
March of Dimes
provided a grant to fund the development of Nitric Oxide, a life-saving
therapy to treat pulmonary hypertension. Ellery received this therapy
in her first hours of life, and WOULD NOT be here if she did not have
the therapy. We are so grateful for the March of Dimes and all the work
they do for babies! We are thrilled and honored to represent them!
Anyone is welcome to learn more, walk with us or donate at https://www.marchforbabies.org/ellerysmom
I invite everyone to participate in March for Babies! It's a
wonderful and fun event to help all babies have a healthy start! The
mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
Heidi Case - Wyatt and Ellery's momThis discussion has been closed.
Re: Given only 5% chance to survive - my miracle!