Thorin's Family Medical Fund
Donation protected
At our ultrasound in June the doctors diagnosed my wife, Crystal, with placenta previa with a high probability of placenta accreta. Her placenta was blocking the neck of her uterus, and we were told that she would definitely need to have a cesarean to deliver our son and more than likely need to have a hysterectomy immediately afterwards to stop her from hemorrhaging.
A few weeks later she hemorrhaged and was admitted to the hospital. We were told that medically it was expected that she would have at least 2 big hemorrhages before Thorin's due date in November, and the doctors discharged her.
Less than a week later Crystal went to UMass' Maternity Triage with severe nausea. They gave her fluids and were about to send her home when she stood up and began to hemorrhage. She was immediately admitted. We were advised that the only way to stop the bleeding would be to remove her placenta.
At this time Crystal was 22 weeks and 5 days along in the pregnancy. Statistically Thorin’s chances of survival were at best 30% and the hospital did not consider Thorin viable. In their mind, Crystal was their only patient and she was about to bleed out and die.
We struggled, argued, and pushed the doctors for other solutions. If we made it just 1 more week the doctors would consider Thorin viable and treat him equally as a patient. The doctors agreed to start Crystal on a regiment of blood transfusions, each time explaining that we were gambling with Crystal’s life if we refused to let them remove her placenta and Thorin.
Out of sheer will and a bit of luck we made it through another week and one day before Crystal’s body could not take anymore. At 8:00 at night the last hemorrhage started and the decision to operate was made.
Thorin was born July 20, 2015, weighing just 1 pound 8 ounces. He was 24 weeks and 1 day.
While I went with Thorin the doctors intubated Crystal and continued to operate on her for another 4 hours after the delivery. It was confirmed that she had placenta accreta. She lost her uterus, but was able to keep her ovaries. Crystal was transferred to the Surgical ICU for another 2 days before moving back up to the Maternity ward.
As Thorin started life in his NICU pod, Crystal had more complications from the surgery. Scans showed that she had elileus, her large intestines were twisted. Surgery seemed inevitable, but after another week of watching, waiting, and withholding oral food and fluids, her intestines woke up and untwisted themselves.
Crystal and I are home now with our 3 other children, Hannah, Jacob, and Odin. Crystal is slowly recovering from the surgeries while taking medical leave from her job. I’m able to work from home for the time being. We spend most of our time at the hospital and visit Thorin everyday.
A few weeks later she hemorrhaged and was admitted to the hospital. We were told that medically it was expected that she would have at least 2 big hemorrhages before Thorin's due date in November, and the doctors discharged her.
Less than a week later Crystal went to UMass' Maternity Triage with severe nausea. They gave her fluids and were about to send her home when she stood up and began to hemorrhage. She was immediately admitted. We were advised that the only way to stop the bleeding would be to remove her placenta.
At this time Crystal was 22 weeks and 5 days along in the pregnancy. Statistically Thorin’s chances of survival were at best 30% and the hospital did not consider Thorin viable. In their mind, Crystal was their only patient and she was about to bleed out and die.
We struggled, argued, and pushed the doctors for other solutions. If we made it just 1 more week the doctors would consider Thorin viable and treat him equally as a patient. The doctors agreed to start Crystal on a regiment of blood transfusions, each time explaining that we were gambling with Crystal’s life if we refused to let them remove her placenta and Thorin.
Out of sheer will and a bit of luck we made it through another week and one day before Crystal’s body could not take anymore. At 8:00 at night the last hemorrhage started and the decision to operate was made.
Thorin was born July 20, 2015, weighing just 1 pound 8 ounces. He was 24 weeks and 1 day.
While I went with Thorin the doctors intubated Crystal and continued to operate on her for another 4 hours after the delivery. It was confirmed that she had placenta accreta. She lost her uterus, but was able to keep her ovaries. Crystal was transferred to the Surgical ICU for another 2 days before moving back up to the Maternity ward.
As Thorin started life in his NICU pod, Crystal had more complications from the surgery. Scans showed that she had elileus, her large intestines were twisted. Surgery seemed inevitable, but after another week of watching, waiting, and withholding oral food and fluids, her intestines woke up and untwisted themselves.
Crystal and I are home now with our 3 other children, Hannah, Jacob, and Odin. Crystal is slowly recovering from the surgeries while taking medical leave from her job. I’m able to work from home for the time being. We spend most of our time at the hospital and visit Thorin everyday.
Organizer
Ken Alderfer
Organizer
Holden, MA
