Friends of Avalynn Vetsch
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We have put together this page at the request of so many, who wish to help Ava with her struggles. The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, and we can't thank you all enough for the support you have given us during this incredibly difficult time.
Avalynn Vetsch was born at 8:15pm on Monday, February 20th, 2017. She was 7lbs 14oz at birth. She was scheduled to be delivered via a planned c-section the very next morning at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, MN. As fate would have it, Avalynn came in to this world a day early. Mom was about to sit down for her last meal before bed, preparing for the C-section in the morning. Tragically she then suffered a sudden cardiac death as her lower heart chambers began a deadly rhythm, which then caused the heart to stop beating. As paramedics rushed to our farm, Mom struggled through paralyzation for every breath.
Avalynn's Grandpa Ron was thankfully home and helped her Dad to keep Mom upright and fighting, and was able to flag down the paramedics, who arrived just in time. As Mom's heart stopped, and breath gave out for the last time, paramedics rushed through the door and started breathing for her. Her heart was shocked back in to motion, and she was rushed off to Buffalo Hospital.
A huge team at Buffalo was able to keep Mom stable until an emergency C-section could be performed. A very strong and talented surgeon went to work on them, saving both Ava and Mom. Initially, things looked bad for both, and we still had no heartbeat from Ava. After what seemed like an hour of agony, Dad was informed Baby Girl was alive, and born at 8:15. She did not present strong, but otherwise did not need any drugs, could breathe on her own, with a little assistance, and had a solid heartbeat the entire time. She was showing signs of oxygen deprivation, but it was being treated.
Mom and Ava were split up and rushed off to HCMC and Children's Hospital at this point, both now being stable. Mom was revived the next morning, ahead of schedule, and miraculously had no neurological damage from the incident, and was able to communicate with us immediately. She had a surgery to implant a defibrillator, and was released early, just 4 days later to be united with her baby for the first time.
Sadly when we arrived for our first reuinion, we received news that Avalynn's MRI had been done finally, and it showed significant brain damage, including in her brain stem, which controls our bodily functions necessary for life. She was breathing on a ventilator still, and the first removal was unsuccessful. We were told they would try again, but it would be the last time, and we could choose when to have it done, but it looked like she would not be able to breathe on her own, and would not live.
After a devastating night, we were awoken with the news she suddenly had been breathing over the ventilator all night, and the tube would be removed very soon since she is breathing. We rushed over to be with our girl, and we were there when the tube was removed. This time they planned on putting the tube back in if it did not work, and we could try another time later in the week. It would not be a good outlook, however, if she could not breathe, and we would have to be ready to let her go.
I will never forget the moment the tube came out...she took a breath, and another...and another, and began breathing fine on her own. She did it on her own for hours, but had a CPAP device added with oxygen to help her out. At least her brain function to breathe was working, and that is one that either works or doesn't.
She was later moved out of the NICU into the Infant Care Center at Children's where a wonderful team of nurses taught her to eat, and helped her to begin her life. She was discharged on March 17th, just short of a month after her traumatic birth with a diagnosis of HIE or Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. She was finally home to her family, and her big brother and sister were thrilled to have her home. Big brother Eli sat patiently looking out the window for over an hour waiting for her to arrive. He was 2 years old at the time.
Most of the time, babies with mild symptoms can have a life uninhibited by HIE, whereas babies with severe symptoms may have a shortened lifespan with a number of painful problems.
Effects of HIE may include developmental delays, epilepsy, cognitive issues, motor skill development delays, and neurodevelopment delays. The true severity of HIE generally cannot be determined until the baby reaches three to four years of age.
For now we do our best to keep her comfortable at home, and have a wonderful team of doctors, nurses, therapists, and teachers working to help Ava. We do not know what the future may bring us, but she is alive, and so is Mom...and we try every day to make it a happy and peaceful one for our little miracle.
Avalynn Vetsch was born at 8:15pm on Monday, February 20th, 2017. She was 7lbs 14oz at birth. She was scheduled to be delivered via a planned c-section the very next morning at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, MN. As fate would have it, Avalynn came in to this world a day early. Mom was about to sit down for her last meal before bed, preparing for the C-section in the morning. Tragically she then suffered a sudden cardiac death as her lower heart chambers began a deadly rhythm, which then caused the heart to stop beating. As paramedics rushed to our farm, Mom struggled through paralyzation for every breath.
Avalynn's Grandpa Ron was thankfully home and helped her Dad to keep Mom upright and fighting, and was able to flag down the paramedics, who arrived just in time. As Mom's heart stopped, and breath gave out for the last time, paramedics rushed through the door and started breathing for her. Her heart was shocked back in to motion, and she was rushed off to Buffalo Hospital.
A huge team at Buffalo was able to keep Mom stable until an emergency C-section could be performed. A very strong and talented surgeon went to work on them, saving both Ava and Mom. Initially, things looked bad for both, and we still had no heartbeat from Ava. After what seemed like an hour of agony, Dad was informed Baby Girl was alive, and born at 8:15. She did not present strong, but otherwise did not need any drugs, could breathe on her own, with a little assistance, and had a solid heartbeat the entire time. She was showing signs of oxygen deprivation, but it was being treated.
Mom and Ava were split up and rushed off to HCMC and Children's Hospital at this point, both now being stable. Mom was revived the next morning, ahead of schedule, and miraculously had no neurological damage from the incident, and was able to communicate with us immediately. She had a surgery to implant a defibrillator, and was released early, just 4 days later to be united with her baby for the first time.
Sadly when we arrived for our first reuinion, we received news that Avalynn's MRI had been done finally, and it showed significant brain damage, including in her brain stem, which controls our bodily functions necessary for life. She was breathing on a ventilator still, and the first removal was unsuccessful. We were told they would try again, but it would be the last time, and we could choose when to have it done, but it looked like she would not be able to breathe on her own, and would not live.
After a devastating night, we were awoken with the news she suddenly had been breathing over the ventilator all night, and the tube would be removed very soon since she is breathing. We rushed over to be with our girl, and we were there when the tube was removed. This time they planned on putting the tube back in if it did not work, and we could try another time later in the week. It would not be a good outlook, however, if she could not breathe, and we would have to be ready to let her go.
I will never forget the moment the tube came out...she took a breath, and another...and another, and began breathing fine on her own. She did it on her own for hours, but had a CPAP device added with oxygen to help her out. At least her brain function to breathe was working, and that is one that either works or doesn't.
She was later moved out of the NICU into the Infant Care Center at Children's where a wonderful team of nurses taught her to eat, and helped her to begin her life. She was discharged on March 17th, just short of a month after her traumatic birth with a diagnosis of HIE or Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. She was finally home to her family, and her big brother and sister were thrilled to have her home. Big brother Eli sat patiently looking out the window for over an hour waiting for her to arrive. He was 2 years old at the time.
Most of the time, babies with mild symptoms can have a life uninhibited by HIE, whereas babies with severe symptoms may have a shortened lifespan with a number of painful problems.
Effects of HIE may include developmental delays, epilepsy, cognitive issues, motor skill development delays, and neurodevelopment delays. The true severity of HIE generally cannot be determined until the baby reaches three to four years of age.
For now we do our best to keep her comfortable at home, and have a wonderful team of doctors, nurses, therapists, and teachers working to help Ava. We do not know what the future may bring us, but she is alive, and so is Mom...and we try every day to make it a happy and peaceful one for our little miracle.
Organizer
Andrew Vetsch
Organizer
Buffalo, MN