ie: recent research in medicine . . .
Team Owen and Liam
I like to say that Owen's story is a miracle, that his story is that of a warrior who fought through insurmountable odds to be the healthy toddler that he is today. And this is true, but it is only part of the story. The other part has to do with the doctors, nurses, surgeons, x-ray techs, ultrasound techs, respiratory therapists, OTs, PTs, STs and all other medical professionals that played a major role in my pregnancy, delivery and first 3 months of life for both of my boys. And what drives their success? The teachings/rules that are based on years and years of medical research.
Somewhere today a future mother is taking her prenatal vitamins because she knows that the folic acid will help protect and build her future babies neural tube which will then become a healthy spine.
Somewhere today someone is hearing their babies heartbeat for the first time with the help of a doppler machine. The thundering thump thump thump that is the most precious thing that any ear could be lucky enough to hear.
Somewhere today parents are seeing their baby or babies on a monitor. Maybe just a sac with a flicker, or maybe a wriggling girl or boy a beautiful spine, arms and legs just beginning to test out their power.
Somewhere today parents are welcoming a healthy full term baby, the
mother worked hard during labor and probably had to make decisions she was unsure of and now exhausted she holds literally the fruit of her labor.
All of these things that seem so natural to us are thanks to the efforts of thousands of scientists, studies, doctors, patients etcetera.
Thanks to the hard work and perseverance of these researchers in particular March of Dimes, I was given drugs to hold of labor long enough to get Owen and Liam to a point of viability based on statistics. Because of studies, I was given a series of steroid shots that are proven to help speed up the development of a babies lungs that are months away from being ready to breathe air. Because of others sacrifices, losses, long days, and even longer nights, my boys were given all of the tools they needed to fight for their lives.
Did you know, that the life saving therapy of a ventilator and concentrated oxygen saves lives, but needs to be carefully monitored because it can also permanently injure lungs and eyes?
Did you know that the milk of a mother of a premature baby is higher in antibodies and nutrients because her body knows that the pregnancy ended to early and nature is doing whatever it can to fix the mistake.
Did you know that there are doctors who can do major surgery on 1 and 2 pound babies? I watched an episode of "Extreme Pregnancy" recently and watched as a woman with a baby with a tumor the size of a grapefruit was operated on. They cut her open, cut open her uterus, then the amniotic sac, pulled out the baby removed the tumor, put the baby back in the sac, sewed it up, put it back in the uterus, and sewed everything up and the baby went on the be a full term healthy baby. . . . no shit.
March of Dimes mission is to make sure that all babies are born healthy. Please join me and my family (Team Owen and Liam) on April 9th 2011 to walk for babies so that one day all babies will be born healthy.
Here is the link to my team again. Please forward on to whomever might be interested. I would love for you to walk with us or donate if you can. Team Owen and Liam
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| I'll never forget when I first laid eyes on my babies |
Thank you.
