Critical fetal surgery
Donation protected
I am typing this with a heavy heart.
My name is Tiffanni Richards and I am currently almost 18 weeks pregnant. I am expecting monozygotic twin girls, meaning they are identical. These precious baby girls happen to share the placenta. However, in my case, they aren't exactly sharing. Unfortunately, since August 24th, they have been monitoring a condition called unequal placenta sharing that is rarely associated with monozygotic twins. This means that one of my little ones is not getting the nutrients and blood flow like she should be, along with having very little fluid around her, unlike our other little one who has plenty of room and nutrient supply. They have been concerned about her brain, along with her tiny heart. The cerebellum of her brain is structurally abnormal and her heart has a small closed valve.
The issue with her placenta share can be a big part of these abnormalities, which is accompanied with the way her umbilical cord is both attached to her and the placenta. Both of which connections are not forming/formed adequately to deliver the same amount of nutrition as the other baby.
The news of this nightmare came when I was 13 weeks and has been being monitored by Dr. Fogal at Northside Hospital center for Perinatal Medicine in Atlanta for the past several weeks. She has been looking at the ultrasounds every week and has decided that it is extremely crucial to have me travel to the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston Texas to have a specific laser surgery done to help our weaker one's nutrient supply as well as giving our other little one a fighting chance to survive if something was to happen and our "baby A" couldn't survive. They are very concerned her tiny heart is being overworked and she might not make it full term or even much longer, as in a couple of weeks time possibly.
This news has been extremely overwhelming and hard. Being told you are expecting twins is an amazing experience, but having to be told what I have in the past few weeks is like being hit by a truck. I want BOTH of my twins to live and grow up together, along with their 2 other siblings but without this surgery, it is a high possibility that they both might not could make it. And because they are identical, they share blood and nutrients, so even though our bigger baby is healthier and developing normal now, she could decline quickly neurotically speaking, or possible death long with baby A.
At this point, this mama is at her wit's end and I don't know what else to do but try to do whatever I can to try to get to Houston as soon as possible. Dr.Fogal had originally referred me to Houston for the surgery a couple of weeks ago but we have held off on traveling until we had a little more information about my situation. Then, on Wednesday morning of the 11th, in Atlanta, while looking on the ultrasound screen, almost thinking maybe things were getting better-the ultrasound tech finished and told me the doctor would be in. When she came in a little later, she has the director of sonography with her and they were discussing in terms that I didn't really understand, but I knew something wasn't right. That's when they told me that our baby A has some reversal in her cord blood flow and her health is "deteriorating". I had to gather myself. Then she told me that she was going to call Texas and needs to know if I can go.
I can go, but I desperately need your help. She wants us to fly, and I say us because I couldn't go thru all this without my best friend and fiancé, McCoy. She told me Wednesday she wants me to fly out ASAP because there is no telling of how much longer our baby A's heart could manage. This trip to Houston is so critical but our bank account is stretched thinly with me staying home with our 2 living girls and only having McCoy's income. It is hard for me to explain all of this and be open, but I don't know what else to do. Please help us get to Houston and have a better chance to save our twin girls. My insurance will cover the laser surgery but I need your help to fly there, possibly being there for a week or two and flying home. We are so grateful for any amount and need to fly out in the next few days!! Thank you for taking time to read my story. God Bless.
My name is Tiffanni Richards and I am currently almost 18 weeks pregnant. I am expecting monozygotic twin girls, meaning they are identical. These precious baby girls happen to share the placenta. However, in my case, they aren't exactly sharing. Unfortunately, since August 24th, they have been monitoring a condition called unequal placenta sharing that is rarely associated with monozygotic twins. This means that one of my little ones is not getting the nutrients and blood flow like she should be, along with having very little fluid around her, unlike our other little one who has plenty of room and nutrient supply. They have been concerned about her brain, along with her tiny heart. The cerebellum of her brain is structurally abnormal and her heart has a small closed valve.
The issue with her placenta share can be a big part of these abnormalities, which is accompanied with the way her umbilical cord is both attached to her and the placenta. Both of which connections are not forming/formed adequately to deliver the same amount of nutrition as the other baby.
The news of this nightmare came when I was 13 weeks and has been being monitored by Dr. Fogal at Northside Hospital center for Perinatal Medicine in Atlanta for the past several weeks. She has been looking at the ultrasounds every week and has decided that it is extremely crucial to have me travel to the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston Texas to have a specific laser surgery done to help our weaker one's nutrient supply as well as giving our other little one a fighting chance to survive if something was to happen and our "baby A" couldn't survive. They are very concerned her tiny heart is being overworked and she might not make it full term or even much longer, as in a couple of weeks time possibly.
This news has been extremely overwhelming and hard. Being told you are expecting twins is an amazing experience, but having to be told what I have in the past few weeks is like being hit by a truck. I want BOTH of my twins to live and grow up together, along with their 2 other siblings but without this surgery, it is a high possibility that they both might not could make it. And because they are identical, they share blood and nutrients, so even though our bigger baby is healthier and developing normal now, she could decline quickly neurotically speaking, or possible death long with baby A.
At this point, this mama is at her wit's end and I don't know what else to do but try to do whatever I can to try to get to Houston as soon as possible. Dr.Fogal had originally referred me to Houston for the surgery a couple of weeks ago but we have held off on traveling until we had a little more information about my situation. Then, on Wednesday morning of the 11th, in Atlanta, while looking on the ultrasound screen, almost thinking maybe things were getting better-the ultrasound tech finished and told me the doctor would be in. When she came in a little later, she has the director of sonography with her and they were discussing in terms that I didn't really understand, but I knew something wasn't right. That's when they told me that our baby A has some reversal in her cord blood flow and her health is "deteriorating". I had to gather myself. Then she told me that she was going to call Texas and needs to know if I can go.
I can go, but I desperately need your help. She wants us to fly, and I say us because I couldn't go thru all this without my best friend and fiancé, McCoy. She told me Wednesday she wants me to fly out ASAP because there is no telling of how much longer our baby A's heart could manage. This trip to Houston is so critical but our bank account is stretched thinly with me staying home with our 2 living girls and only having McCoy's income. It is hard for me to explain all of this and be open, but I don't know what else to do. Please help us get to Houston and have a better chance to save our twin girls. My insurance will cover the laser surgery but I need your help to fly there, possibly being there for a week or two and flying home. We are so grateful for any amount and need to fly out in the next few days!! Thank you for taking time to read my story. God Bless.
Organizer
Tiffanni Richards
Organizer
Ranger, GA
