Supporting Early Baby Matthew Mihalko-Guarr

Middle school music teachers Caitlin and Joe and their 4-year-old daughter Elizabeth were excited for baby Matthew to join their family. He had been busy growing and kicking and getting stronger every day for the past seven months. He rocked out with Mom to her current favorite music: Rising Appalachia, The Fretless, and the music of her students in orchestra class. Big sister Elizabeth loved to snuggle against her mom and feel her new brother's movements. She couldn't wait to play with Matthew.

Caitlin was feeling some extra discomfort by this point, possibly due to Matthew moving against a weak spot in her uterus from previous surgery, and was quietly looking forward to giving birth.

Five weeks before Matthew's due date, Caitlin was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and Covid. She needed an emergency C-section to save her life and Matthew's.

Matthew was born on April 11, 2022. He was treated for respiratory distress due to his prematurity and entered a special care unit at the hospital.

After her C-section, Caitlin hemorrhaged and needed a second surgery to stop the bleeding. The second surgery repaired the hemorrhage, but while she was recovering, her uterus began to bleed from another area. 

All of Caitlin's blood-clotting factors were used up by this point and her body went into DIC, a rare condition that disrupts blood flow and can cause blood clots, difficulty breathing, and confusion. This would have made a third surgery and removal of her uterus nearly impossible. Instead, she received large infusions of blood platelets and plasma, which helped her body heal the second bleed on its own.

She spent five days in the ICU waiting for her blood to stabilize and ensure there were no further bleeds. Finally, she was able to move to a regular room with Matthew. During this entire time, Joe took care of the family, constantly traveling between Caitlin and Matthew's hospital rooms and home with Elizabeth. He was a rock for the whole family.

On April 19, 2022,  eight days after Matthew was born, Joe was finally able to bring mom and baby home. 

A few days later, Caitlin was feeling well enough to talk about her experience and posted the following on her social media:

"The last 9 days were the most challenging of my life and there is a lot to process as I continue my recovery at home. There was the emergency c-section due to preeclampsia, having to go on magnesium again (if you know, you know, it’s miserable) my positive Covid test at the hospital, Matthew having respiratory distress and needing to go to a special unit, my life threatening complications that required emergency surgery, 5 days in the ICU with further complications, having my entire volume of blood replaced over a 48 hour period, once back in Labor & Delivery being told I would not be allowed to have Matthew with me (that doctor met mama bear Caitlin), finally getting him but having another setback myself requiring me to stay longer, my daughter not being able to visit and being away from her for so long, I have a lot to process. My body is unrecognizable to me right now, covered in bruising from two surgeries and what felt like endless IVs and blood draws, and a new scar. I am mentally and emotionally drained.
 
But. Words cannot express how grateful I am to my husband for being my rock and doing all of the things that needed to be done, going back and forth to the hospital daily. I am grateful to my family for taking care of Elizabeth and keeping her occupied and happy, for helping Joe, and who also took turns visiting me so that I could keep Matthew with me in those last few days. I’m grateful for the friends who helped support my family, to the colleagues at work who stepped in to support my students and find coverage for me, and to everyone who offered their love, support, and words of encouragement from afar. I’m eternally grateful to my team of doctors who worked tirelessly (my primary OB who did both of my surgeries visited me almost every day and apparently had to be told by her colleagues to go home and get some sleep) to ensure that I not only survived but could be with my son and go home in one piece. Finally, to every single nurse and tech in the ICU and Labor & Delivery who cared for me, helped me get through the days and nights of blood work, constant vital monitoring, IVs and medications, and who held my hand and comforted me during two emergency procedures, I would not be here without them. The nurses in the Special Care Unit were absolutely amazing and combined with Joe being able to visit a few times each day were the only thing that made it bearable to be away from Matthew. They would give me their phone numbers so that I could FaceTime to see him and get updates on his progress. One nurse brought Matthew to see me one night in the ICU and broke the rules a little and let me hold him for a few minutes. That visit meant the world to me.

While there is a lot to process and a lot of confused emotions bouncing around in my brain, my heart is full having my family together and seeing how much Elizabeth loves her baby brother."

 

The family is relieved and comforted to be home together. Caitlin is recovering, but all of her complications mean that her recovery will be longer and more difficult than most. If you wish to help, please make a contribution now toward the family's fundraising goal. The contributions will be used to pay for the Mihalko-Guarr's unexpected medical costs and for assistance in their home while Caitlin heals. 

Joe and Caitlin are enjoying their time with their family at home, and of course looking forward to getting back to their music students! Because Caitlin's life was saved by donated blood, plasma, and platelets, she also looks forward to donating blood when she is recovered! Please consider donating blood or plasma to help save more lives like Caitlin's. 

The Mihalko-Guarr family is grateful and honored for all your support.