Hi everyone, I am raising money for my cousin, Josh and Andrea who just had a whirlwind pregnancy and delivery which resulted in their twins, Baby Nessiah and Baby Yuri being born extremely premature. They are currently in NICU with mommy and daddy waiting prayerfully for them to become strong enough to join them at home. Both parents are small business owners in their community. Work is limited as the travel back and forth to Pittsburgh.
Here is their story in their own words:
Our story We found out that were expecting on November 12th. We were so excited to be having a baby. The first trimester was rough, the morning sickness lasted all day most days. If we weren’t sick we had heart burn like no other.
On December 10th, we had an emergency ultrasound due to spotting and we found out that we were having not just one but two babies.. TWINS. This was very exciting but shocking news for us both. We were definitely not expecting two little miracles. The more it settled the more excited we got.
Fast forward to February, we had our first anatomy scan. Both babies were growing at a good rate and were very healthy, however, this is where we found that Andreas cervix was shortened due to a LEAP procedure that was done 5 years previously.
The pregnancy was already considered high risk due them being twins, so having a shortened cervix was even more concerning. We were sent to Magee-Womens in Pittsburgh to meet with the high risk doctors in MFM (maternal fetal medicine). We started talking about all of the possible outcomes with a shortened cervix and things that we could expect from it. One of those things were preterm labor. Being that we were only 17 weeks into gestation, nothing could really be done. It was just a matter of time.
On March 9th, we had our normal babies appointment to check their hearts and to make sure that everything was still okay, however due to the extra discharge that morning and the cervix being shortened, the doctor checked her cervix once again. We found out that she was one centimeter dilated at 22 weeks and 1 day. This was extremely concerning and we were sent to Farrell to be further examined. The doctors in Farrell were unable to help us and basically told us that if our babies were born there they would not survive.
After being sent home we were placed on bed rest until we were to be admitted to Magee-Womens in Pittsburgh on March 20th. Three days later, Andrea started to experience extreme discomfort in her hips and we went to Pittsburgh to make sure everything was okay. After arriving to the hospital, the high risk doctors did an exam and found that she was now 3-4 centimeters dilated. We met with lots of doctors throughout the night.
We started going over our options and decisions we would need to make if the babies came early. It was a very long and stressful night. We were admitted that night on March 11th, nine days earlier than we were supposed to be. The goal was to stay pregnant for as long as possible for the babies best chance of survival.
Their chances grew greater by each day, and even more by each week. We had to decide if we wanted to resuscitate the babies at 23/24 weeks. We decided we wanted to resuscitate them at 23 weeks. Upon deciding that, we went through the process of giving them the best chance possible if they were to come early. She got the steroid shot to help mature their lungs faster, this was good for one week. We got our first dose at 22 weeks and 5 days and the second dose the day after. We were also put on indocin which was used to stop labor, then we did magnesium for 24 hours for neuro protection. All of the discomfort from the magnesium and pain from the steroid was worth it. At the 23 week mark, we started daily heart monitors.
On the night of March 17th, she started to feel discomfort in the hips once again. Tylenol helped and nothing was reading as contractions. Although it was uncomfortable it was not unbearable. On March 18th, the pain continued but it was not unbearable and it was still not reading as contractions. That night it got worse and we maybe slept for three total hours. She ended up getting a lidocaine patch and Tylenol which made the pain bearable and we were able to get a couple more hours of sleep.
On March 19th, the pain came back once again and it was still not reading as contractions, and was slowly starting to get worse. The doctors gave her some pain medicine and it relieved the pain for a few hours but wore off far too quickly. The pain became very unbearable and was coming on every 6 minutes. The nurse came in and put her on the monitor and the monitor was not picking up contractions. After the doctor came in and gave her an exam she could feel the babies feet kicking in Andrea’s cervix. They brought in the bedside ultrasound and were able to see what was happening.
Though her dilation went down from 3-4 centimeters to 2 1/2 centimeters, this wasn’t the problem. Baby Yuri kicked out the water bag and put her foot through Andrea’s cervix which was causing her to have labor pains. Our next decision had to be made immediately! We were either going to have to have an emergency c-section with the risk of something happening to Andrea or we could wait for natural labor, but the babies wouldn’t have a chance of making it. Obviously, we chose to have the c-section to give the babies the best chance of living.
We were immediately rushed to the O.R. and prepped for surgery. Nessiah came out first at 7:46 pm weighing 1 lb 7 oz, and his sister Yuri followed 2 minutes behind at 7:48 weighing 1 lb 4.5 oz. Both babies came out breathing and they looked good. The surgery went well and we were moved to recovery shortly afterwards. Before we were taken to our room we were able to see our babies in triage, it was such an amazing moment. We were then transferred and had to wait for the babies to be moved to their rooms where we would be able to see them whenever we wanted.
March 21st, was one of the scariest days of our lives. We thought we were going to lose our baby boy. His lung was collapsing and he had bleeding in his lungs and his brain. There was nothing they could do to stop the bleeding so they let us hold him for what was supposed to be the first and the last time. Little did they know, and by the grace of God, his heart rate started going up while Andrea held him in her arms. This is the day the NICU learned the meaning of his name. Nessiah is Hebrew for “Miracle of God”. It was that day that he lived up to the expectation of his name.
Everyone including the doctors were shocked, and some left speechless. They called the circumstance unusual, but we knew exactly where his strength was coming from. Since that day, little Nessiah has exceeded every expectation they had for him, but still continues to need support unlike his sister Yuri, whose name means “Light of God”, who has so much spunk an attitude for such a premature baby.
Both of them are on the right track to coming home in a few months, and until that time comes, we are living between Pittsburgh, Pa and home which is about an hour away. With everything going on, and the constant need of having us nearby, this has made working, almost impossible. With bills accumulating at home, and the price of transportation from traveling back and forth, we are reaching out to our friends and family members for a little help to take some of the weight off of our shoulders.
Here is their story in their own words:
Our story We found out that were expecting on November 12th. We were so excited to be having a baby. The first trimester was rough, the morning sickness lasted all day most days. If we weren’t sick we had heart burn like no other.
On December 10th, we had an emergency ultrasound due to spotting and we found out that we were having not just one but two babies.. TWINS. This was very exciting but shocking news for us both. We were definitely not expecting two little miracles. The more it settled the more excited we got.
Fast forward to February, we had our first anatomy scan. Both babies were growing at a good rate and were very healthy, however, this is where we found that Andreas cervix was shortened due to a LEAP procedure that was done 5 years previously.
The pregnancy was already considered high risk due them being twins, so having a shortened cervix was even more concerning. We were sent to Magee-Womens in Pittsburgh to meet with the high risk doctors in MFM (maternal fetal medicine). We started talking about all of the possible outcomes with a shortened cervix and things that we could expect from it. One of those things were preterm labor. Being that we were only 17 weeks into gestation, nothing could really be done. It was just a matter of time.
On March 9th, we had our normal babies appointment to check their hearts and to make sure that everything was still okay, however due to the extra discharge that morning and the cervix being shortened, the doctor checked her cervix once again. We found out that she was one centimeter dilated at 22 weeks and 1 day. This was extremely concerning and we were sent to Farrell to be further examined. The doctors in Farrell were unable to help us and basically told us that if our babies were born there they would not survive.
After being sent home we were placed on bed rest until we were to be admitted to Magee-Womens in Pittsburgh on March 20th. Three days later, Andrea started to experience extreme discomfort in her hips and we went to Pittsburgh to make sure everything was okay. After arriving to the hospital, the high risk doctors did an exam and found that she was now 3-4 centimeters dilated. We met with lots of doctors throughout the night.
We started going over our options and decisions we would need to make if the babies came early. It was a very long and stressful night. We were admitted that night on March 11th, nine days earlier than we were supposed to be. The goal was to stay pregnant for as long as possible for the babies best chance of survival.
Their chances grew greater by each day, and even more by each week. We had to decide if we wanted to resuscitate the babies at 23/24 weeks. We decided we wanted to resuscitate them at 23 weeks. Upon deciding that, we went through the process of giving them the best chance possible if they were to come early. She got the steroid shot to help mature their lungs faster, this was good for one week. We got our first dose at 22 weeks and 5 days and the second dose the day after. We were also put on indocin which was used to stop labor, then we did magnesium for 24 hours for neuro protection. All of the discomfort from the magnesium and pain from the steroid was worth it. At the 23 week mark, we started daily heart monitors.
On the night of March 17th, she started to feel discomfort in the hips once again. Tylenol helped and nothing was reading as contractions. Although it was uncomfortable it was not unbearable. On March 18th, the pain continued but it was not unbearable and it was still not reading as contractions. That night it got worse and we maybe slept for three total hours. She ended up getting a lidocaine patch and Tylenol which made the pain bearable and we were able to get a couple more hours of sleep.
On March 19th, the pain came back once again and it was still not reading as contractions, and was slowly starting to get worse. The doctors gave her some pain medicine and it relieved the pain for a few hours but wore off far too quickly. The pain became very unbearable and was coming on every 6 minutes. The nurse came in and put her on the monitor and the monitor was not picking up contractions. After the doctor came in and gave her an exam she could feel the babies feet kicking in Andrea’s cervix. They brought in the bedside ultrasound and were able to see what was happening.
Though her dilation went down from 3-4 centimeters to 2 1/2 centimeters, this wasn’t the problem. Baby Yuri kicked out the water bag and put her foot through Andrea’s cervix which was causing her to have labor pains. Our next decision had to be made immediately! We were either going to have to have an emergency c-section with the risk of something happening to Andrea or we could wait for natural labor, but the babies wouldn’t have a chance of making it. Obviously, we chose to have the c-section to give the babies the best chance of living.
We were immediately rushed to the O.R. and prepped for surgery. Nessiah came out first at 7:46 pm weighing 1 lb 7 oz, and his sister Yuri followed 2 minutes behind at 7:48 weighing 1 lb 4.5 oz. Both babies came out breathing and they looked good. The surgery went well and we were moved to recovery shortly afterwards. Before we were taken to our room we were able to see our babies in triage, it was such an amazing moment. We were then transferred and had to wait for the babies to be moved to their rooms where we would be able to see them whenever we wanted.
March 21st, was one of the scariest days of our lives. We thought we were going to lose our baby boy. His lung was collapsing and he had bleeding in his lungs and his brain. There was nothing they could do to stop the bleeding so they let us hold him for what was supposed to be the first and the last time. Little did they know, and by the grace of God, his heart rate started going up while Andrea held him in her arms. This is the day the NICU learned the meaning of his name. Nessiah is Hebrew for “Miracle of God”. It was that day that he lived up to the expectation of his name.
Everyone including the doctors were shocked, and some left speechless. They called the circumstance unusual, but we knew exactly where his strength was coming from. Since that day, little Nessiah has exceeded every expectation they had for him, but still continues to need support unlike his sister Yuri, whose name means “Light of God”, who has so much spunk an attitude for such a premature baby.
Both of them are on the right track to coming home in a few months, and until that time comes, we are living between Pittsburgh, Pa and home which is about an hour away. With everything going on, and the constant need of having us nearby, this has made working, almost impossible. With bills accumulating at home, and the price of transportation from traveling back and forth, we are reaching out to our friends and family members for a little help to take some of the weight off of our shoulders.
Organizer and beneficiary
Joshua Stewart
Beneficiary