Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Survive and Thrive - Go Kierstyn!

"On April 23, 2009, our daughter, Kierstyn, was born 3 months premature and weighed just over two pounds. I was medevac’d from Sierra Vista Regional Health Center on April 21, 2009 because I was having contractions that could not be stopped. I did not have any symptoms of being ill, but when I arrived at TMC, the doctor placed me on an antibiotic IV as a precaution and ran a battery of tests the following day. One of the tests came back positive. I was in premature labor due to a fatal bacteria in the uterus – fatal to both me and the baby. 

Having been proactive with the antibiotic, the doctor saved my life. And, because I was not symptomatic, doctors felt they had time on their side, monitored the baby very closely, and wanted to get the four steroid shots in to me to give the baby a fighting chance. The following day, Kierstyn was delivered. She was in the NICU at TMC for 62 days. During that time, the staff at the NICU along with the monetary support of CMN worked miracles. 

Kierstyn was in an incubator that would help regulate her body temperature as well as oxygen levels and over the course of the next two months, many other apparatuses were used so that her body would not have to work too hard. After some research, we found that approximately 96% of babies born with the bacteria do not survive. Beyond that, two percent contract any number of infections, subsequently die and others are born with disabilities. Kierstyn was one of the 2% who survive and thrive. It is because of the equipment given by CMN and expertise of the staff in the NICU that our daughter is alive and is developing normally today."

Much gratitude to Kierstyn's mom for sharing this miraculous story. Do you have a story to share?  The Children's Miracle Network page has a  link to share your story.

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