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Babies: 6 - 9 Months
sourpatchkids
member
Pray for Baby Scarlett
sourpatchkids
member
Baby Scarlett Grace was born on October 16, 2010 and was diagnosed on Dec. 17th with a brain tumor.
Here is the full story from her mother Brandi's blog:
"As I write this late on Sunday, I cannot believe how much has transpired in just a weekend.
Scarlett's 2 month Well
Baby appointment was scheduled for December 17, the day after her 2
month birthday. We had minimal concerns to bring to the doctor, as most
new parents do: Is she gaining enough weight? Is she hitting her
developmental milestones? Is that color poop normal? Then, there was a
bruise.
Scarlett had developed a
small bruise on her forehead in early December. We had no idea where it
came from. In the beginning, we assumed she had hit her head somehow
with her own hand or a pacifier. Of course, we had never done anything
that would have caused an injury, and felt awful that something had
snuck by our overly-vigilant eyes to bump her. We waited for it to
pass, as bruises do.
Days kept passing, and the bruise
did not fade. It would lighten when she was calm, but turn dark and
raised when she was angry and crying. We noted it and decided we would
ask at the appointment we had already scheduled, just to be careful.
By the appointment, there were three
small bruises. The medical assistant noticed them immediately, and we
said yes, we wanted the doctor to take a look at that, since it isn't
going away. Our doctor came in, excited to see her tiny patient
(everyone is always excited to see Scarlett!) She began the exam, and
as she noticed the bruises, she started to feel the fontanel, or soft
spot, on Scarlett's head. It was at this moment that our appointment
made a u-turn.
The doctor, a family practitioner,
told us she wanted to bring in a pediatrician to check Scarlett's
fontanel. A few minutes later, the pediatrician and our doctor were
conferring in the hall about our baby's head. We looked at each other
as I nursed Scarlett in the office, ready to hear whatever they were
going to tell us, but not expecting anything serious. Scarlett was
perfect, behaving normally as she had all along.
When the doctor returned, her face
was obviously concerned. She had already called to arrange a CT scan;
we were to immediately walk over to radiology, where they were waiting
for us. Scarlett fell asleep as they strapped her to the huge x-ray
machine, and a short time later we walked back to the doctor's office.
When the doctor returned to see us,
she said "Something is wrong with her." On the CT scan, she said, there
was some signs of bleeding in her brain. She wanted to refer us to the
neurosurgeon at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. As she
left the room, we waited in shock; we did not bring her a sick baby.
We talked about how our next week would be tight, scheduling a
neurosugeon visit in Palo Alto along with work and Christmas shopping.
When she returned a few minutes
later, she began to talk quickly: "You are going to drive to the
Washington Hospital ER, and they will prep her for the ambulance ride to
Palo Alto." Ambulance? Where did that come from? "Wait, ambulance?
We are going right now? We can't drive her?" "Yes, now. It's better
for her to go with the ambulance." She didn't let us dress her, just a
t-shirt and socks.
We called my parents to meet us at
the ER. It killed me to make yet another frantic phone call to my poor
mom. As we drove the short distance to the ER, we were in shock and
disbelief. Our baby was NOT sick. She was learning to smile, lifting
her head, loved to listen to music. Not sick. What's the rush?
At the ER, they were waiting for
us. We were rushed back to a room, where an IV was started. It was too
much for me to watch the well-meaning but ill-prepared nurses jab at my
9 pound baby. After a few minutes of holding her hand and whispering
my love for her as she screamed and writhed in pain, I had to leave to
let Chris hold her.
Then began the questions: How old is
she? Was she full term? Did you experience any complications in
pregnancy? In delivery? When did you notice the bruising? I was asked
the same questions so many times I can't recall.
We learned later that the
radiologist at the ER saw the CT images and, with the impression that
there was bleeding in her brain, called Child Protective Services with a
report of a possibly abused baby.
The transport team from LPCH arrived
around 4:45, about 3 hours after our first appointment had begun. They
strapped Scarlett to a gurney as they rambled off directions to the
hospital. They had brought a large support staff for the small
ambulance - 2 EMTs and 2 nurses - so neither Chris nor I could ride with
our daughter. We kissed her goodbye and my mom drove us through a
horrific rainstorm in Friday traffic across the Dumbarton Bridge...it
took almost an hour to go 20 miles.
When we found our way to the
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Scarlett was already laid out on
the bed. A huge team of doctors, nurses and EMTs were fussing over her,
with both awe and shock over her tiny size. Details begin to blur as
we learn she will have an MRI in a few hours...a tour through the unit -
our room, the desk, our nurses, the family waiting room (with one
shared bathroom for all the panic stricken families of PICU kids)...I
cannot feed her, but here is the pump to save milk...we will be in the
PICU for a while...a quick sit-down with the pediatric neurosugery
resident to tell us there was a large mass, the CT scan of which he
showed us on his iPhone; "impressive," he kept calling the mass...she
will be intubated and paralyzed for the MRI, so kiss her now...and there
is a social worker waiting to speak with you.
As the social worker interviewed us,
asking how we handled when we were feeling angry, how we handled when
Scarlett was fussy, did we have any support, we sat in stunned silence
as he tried to determine what kind of horrible people we might be. As
we explained our home situation, our jobs, education, health and
whatever else he asked, I could not help but wonder how we got here,
telling this stranger that no, we did not shake our baby when she
cried;yes, we understand it is unsafe to leave the baby with the dog
unsupervised; no, we are not drug users, nor do we smoke or have guns;
yes, the doctor told us it was a mass and no, we didn't think we would
be home Tuesday for him to check our home for dog feces.
We had to shake that off fast,
because it was time to walk with our child to the MRI. We held hands as
we followed the huge metal crib with our baby strapped down on top
through the labryinth of Stanford's underground level.
It took nearly three hours before
she returned. They took out the breathing tubes and said we should
rest, but not to feed Scarlett in case the MRI showed an immediate need
for surgery, as anethesia might make her vomit. So we embarked on a
long night of attempting to rest in a noisy, freezing ICU room, still
wearing our windbreakers and tennis shoes, with a screaming, hungry,
sore baby. We did not rest.
The next morning, we waited to meet
with the neurosurgeon. We were assured by every nurse and doctor we
saw that this was the guy to talk to...best in the country, if not the
world; we're so lucky to have him. Lucky? I don't think so.
As I walked to the bathroom, I
passed our nurse during the shift change; she was showing Scarlett's MRI
images to the new nurse. I stopped to see the white egg-shaped mass in
my daughter's brain.
When the doctor arrived, he began
talking and showed us the detailed images of our baby's brain. While
he couldn't give us much detail yet, what he could say was that our
perfect, beautiful, seemingly-healthy baby was harboring a 10cmx7cm
tumor in her brain. It has smashed her tiny brain to the right, and
will continue to grow and smash."
You can get updates about Baby Scarlett by reading the blog - https://brandiandchris.blogspot.com/
Please pray for this dear family - I can't even imagine how hard this must be for them.
I have made a badge and here is the code -
<a href="https://tinypic.com?ref=257ovx3" target="_blank"><img src="https://i51.tinypic.com/257ovx3.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
If anyone knows how to add the link to the blog to the badge code, please share that with me so I can add that to my profile.
Brady (7.15.10) and Nolan (5.11.13)
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Pray for Baby Scarlett
Wow. I have no words... That is extremely sad & I can not even imagine going through something so awful & unexpected.
Sending T&Ps to the entire family.
Here is the code to make the badge link to the blog:
<a href=https://brandiandchris.blogspot.com target="_blank"><img src="https://i51.tinypic.com/257ovx3.jpg" border="0"></a>
I can't help but cry while reading this. It's so sad. I can't even imagine what they're going through. Many T&Ps sent their way.
Dude.. way to make me cry on Xmas Eve Eve.
I will pray for her every night. Twice at Christmas Mass. Thank you for the link to the blog.
Said a prayer and will continue to pray for this family. Crying and holding my DD tight. God be with them and send them a miracle.
I can't even begin to imagine what pain they must be in. It made my heart break to just read that. She will be in my thoughts and I will be thinking of her all day Christmas for her to return home soon happy and healthy.
Married 8.13.2005, M/C 12/8/06- 5 weeks, M/C 2/27/07- 7 weeks, M/C w/ D&C 8/10/09-6.5 weeks *Charles Lawrence born 5/2/08 @ 3:14am, 7lb 8oz, 20.5 inches. Clomid, Crinone and baby aspirin. *Alexandra Claire born 9/14/10 @ 9:52am 6lb 14oz, 20.5 inches. Femara, Crinone and baby aspirin.
Natural M/C at 7 weeks 9.17.08 Natural M/C at 7 weeks 2.1.13
That is so awful. I cried through the whole thing. I can't even imagine how hard that would be.
I'll be saying lots of prayers for them.
I feel so lucky to have my incredibly healthy and amazing son asleep on my lap right now.
Baby Scarlett and her parents are in my prayers. I hope she will be okay and get through this.
I got chills reading this I will be praying for this family. I know all too well what they are feeling right now. Although my son didn't have a brain tumor he has a brain defect that caused him to stay in the picu for 12 out of the first 16 weeks of his life and endure 4 brain surgeries.
Thank you so much for posting this.
OMG this is terrible. I cannot even begin to imagine what these parents are feeling right now. This brought tears to my eyes... I'd die.
So many Ts and Ps to this family. I will be thinking about them. What a way to spend your Christmas?!