Ella & Sophia's Journey
Donation protected
Aug 26, 2022
Final gofundme update
We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for the generous donations and support we have received during our difficult time. The twins are thriving and doing amazing since coming home and for now we can finally breathe and enjoy our time as a family. We will continue to update everyone via facebook on our girls as they grow please follow us for pictures and updates as we continue on our journey.
Love you all!
The Grantmyre Family ❤
Mom facebook Kristy Pender
Dad Facebook Dallin Lee Wayne Grantmyre-Gough
Aug 6 2022
Finally home
It has been a while since updating our account, but for now we are finally home with our girls!!! Sophia was able to recover from the event that happened landing her in a coma for almost 2 weeks and Ella is thriving as well
They are doing great since discharge and expected to return for surgery in the next 3-4 months.
Meanwhile we will be travelling to London monthly, and periodically Toronto for our follow ups and further testing. We came home with both babies needing NG feeding tubes (supplies for this are at our expense). It has been very difficult to manage as the girls continuously remove the tubes lol they are $40 a piece!!!
If anyone knows of people who have used NG tubes for feeding and have any left over 6fr size tubes, and other supplies please have them get in touch with us
Update for Sophia
On Friday June 10th, I took Sophia in for her cardiologist follow up appointment. The doctor routinely checked her oxygen and noted it was at 55% (was showing no symptoms of desaturation). We were told to take her into Sick Kids Er, she was later admitted and her oxygen continued to drop. They found that her body was not pushing blood flow from her body to lungs and a stent was placed. The next morning she was doing great and about to be transferred out of ICU when her heart suddenly dropped requiring them to begin cpr. They were able to resuscitate but now she is in an extremely critical condition. We have been here 11 weeks already in Toronto, money is getting extremely tight and we are asking for our story to be continuously shared and for prayers.
We are expected to remain in Toronto for quite some time. Today we are praying Sophia can have surgery to correct her blood flow but for now is in a medically induced coma.
June 8th, 2022
We are going on week 10 in Toronto, Sophia has been discharged now from the nicu for two weeks!!
Ella finally had her first surgery yesterday to repair the pulmonary atresia in hopes that she can come off of the cpap machine completely and finally breathe on her own! So far she is doing great post op and still on the cpap but it is gradually being weined down. We yet to have a discharge date for Ella but this is the start of our road to partial recovery. We will hopefully be able to return home in 4-6 weeks depending on Ella and her health!
The twins will still need full open heart surgeries closer to when they are 7 months (corrected) and their little bodies are stronger.
The surgeries will take place at Sick Kids and we will be expected to travel back and forth until then for many monitoring appointments for both girls.
We greatly appreciate all the support and love we have received on this journey and ask that we continue to share our page for updates on the twins health.
May 9, 2022
Sophia and Ella are still stable and thriving!!
Sophia is slowly beginning bottle feeds and has transitioned out of her incubator to a cot! So exciting!
Ella has her ups and down but she is one strong little girl!! She has had so many tests and pokes done. She is on a medication to keep her hole in her heart open as it would be fatal if it closed up on its own without surgical repair. We are now at 35 weeks gestation and she has to continually wear respiratory support but she is a fighter!
Sophia will hopefully be discharged and living with us at ronald mcdonald in June. She will need close monitoring and open heart surgery around 7 months (corrected)
As for Ella, her surgeries will hopefully begin early June as her job right now is to keep eating and get bigger!
Thank you everyone for your continued support and strength! We really appreciate it.
Chapter 5:
April 15th, 2022
Its been a bit since I have posted because i was very sick after having the twins, and finally discharged from the hospital 2 days ago myself.
Baby girls are doing well
Ella had her ventilator removed yesterday. That was huge. She is breathing on her own and back to birth weight.
Sophia is also doing well, she is at St Michaels Hospital in the nicu and is almost back to her birth weight. Dallin and I are currently staying at hotels until we can get into the Ronald McDonald house hopefully sometime next week. Its been one hell of a struggle since they were born but all 3 of us girls are getting stronger day by day.
Will keep everyone updated!
Chapter 4:
On April 5th, 2022 at 8:27pm and 8:37pm Sophia Marie and Ella Rose made their way into the world at only 30 weeks gestation. Thankfully we had an easy birth, despite Ella being transverse and needing to be flipped around in moms tummy. They were both taken to the Nicu upon their arrivals. Sophia is at Mount Sinai in the Nicu and Ella is at Sick Kids Nicu
Because they are still very premature, they will both remain in Nicu's until they gain some weight and grow
Once Ella is over 3lbs and more stable her first of 3 surgeries to repair her heart will begin
We have a very long journey ahead and expect to be in Toronto for atleast the next 8 weeks. We have been approved for Ronald McDonald housing for $15 a night (food not included), however will need to stay in a hotel or Air BnB at our expense until our room is ready in the next 7-10 days. We need to remain close to the hospitals to visit our girls and to provide pumped breast milk.
Thank you everyone for your continued support and love. Please share our updates.
Chapter 3 of our Journey
On April 1, 2022 we had a follow up appointment scheduled at Sick Kids Hospital for a fetal echo which was perfectly consistent with the last and still proving Ella needs her surgeries immediately after birth, Sophia within 3-6 months of being born.
Sophia is weighing 2lbs and 13oz
Ella 2lbs 4oz. Due to her being smaller still they focused more on her placenta at our later appt at Mount Sinai for a 2nd ultrasound. They discovered her placenta is not receiving adequate blood flow and nutrients and she is approximately 3weeks behind in growth. A plan was made for weekly ultrasounds to be done in Windsor and sent to Mt. Sinai, but if the blood flow was not improving we would be sent back to Toronto to stay until babies are born at now 33 or 34 weeks due to these changes.
We were on our way home from a very long day, excited about our baby shower the next afternoon when on the 401 mom began having contractions 10 mins apart, then 7 and then 5. Dad called ambulance who met us on the 401 and transferred mom to Victoria Hospital in London. After assessment mom was 1-2cm dilated with strong recurrent contractions. She was airlifted back to Mt Sinai Hospital in Toronto by helicopter at 3am.
We have been admitted and am still experiencing strong contractions 24hrs later with small changes to cervix
Mom will remain admitted to Hospital at this point for observation and is currently on Labour & Delivery floor hooked up to monitors and receiving multiple medications to help calm contractions and manage pain. We are unsure at this point if the girls will be delivered soon or if contractions will come to a halt but mom is to remain in hospital until they come. We are currently 30 weeks and praying for the best and safest options for our babies. The staff here have been absolutely amazing and very calming & reassuring. Will keep everyone updated!
Chapter 2 of our Journey
On March 4th, 2022, we had our appointment at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
We were told that both Ella and Sophia have a cardiac disease Called Tetralogy of Fallot requiring surgery for repair. This includes a very large hole in their tiny hearts and valve issues that cannot fix itself. Sophia’s case is less emergent she is expected to be stable and have her surgery within 3-6 months after birth.
Ella’s situation is much more severe because she not only has the heart condition, but she is also missing a very important component (a valve) that allows oxygen and blood flow from heart to lungs. She will need a shunt immediately after birth (providing she meets the adequate weight requirements once born- until then will remain in Nicu receiving medication until she weighs over 3lbs) and then an additional surgery where they will construct a valve for her to transport blood and oxygen to her lungs. She will need 2-3 surgeries before being able to leave the hospital and several follow up surgeries as she goes through growth spurts in life.
Unfortunately, due to the severity of Ella’s condition, this will require mom, dad and Sophia to remain in Toronto for minimum of 1 month.
Mom has been placed on strict bed rest with the goal of keeping both babies from coming until at least 34 weeks of pregnancy (preferably 36-38).
There is going to be at least 2-3 follow up appointments prior to birth in Toronto at Sick Kids and Mount Sinai hospitals for monitoring and birth planning/preparation.
Approx. Expenses for this Trip: $700
Next Follow up Appointment: April 1,2022.
Chapter 1
Hi, my name is Sherry and I am creating this account for my daughter & her Fiance. In September of 2021 Kristy & Dallin both received exciting news they were expecting twins. At just 5 weeks, Kristy was put on medical leave from work due to bleeding and she was considered a high risk and then taken off the remainder of her pregnancy.
After a few anatomy ultrasound attempts here in Windsor they were sent to London for extensive testing, and seen two specialists where they were told that both babies (Sophia & Ella) were in trouble with their hearts. They both have holes as well as valve issues requiring repair. One baby (Ella) is more serious because she has a part missing that passes blood to her lungs and will require immediate surgery after birth. Sophia will require surgery within 4-6 months. They were told the babies will be born in Toronto by C-Section in May of 2022. With Kristy already on Medical leave, they are now short on funds due to having to travel back and forth to Toronto and London for all appointments. They have to book hotel rooms the evening before because appointments are scheduled too early. Dallin recently started a new job and will need to take time off as well. It is uncertain how long they will need to stay in Toronto once the babies are born. Both parents and babies have a long journey ahead of them and any and all financial assistance is needed to help pay for travel, gas, rent at their current home, food etc. Please help Kristy & Dallin and their precious family and pray for their children.
Organizer
Kristy Pender
Organizer
Windsor, ON
