In Memory of Harper, Hope for Whitley

As many may know already, Chris and I were expecting identical twin girls. My original due date was October 3rd, but from the very beginning, we were made aware that the girls would be here no later than 37 weeks, no later than mid-September. There are a lot of health risks with identical twin pregnancies, which is why I was going to a high-risk OBGYN since the very beginning.

We had already decided to name “twin A” Whitley Lane, and “twin B” would be Harper May. Everything had been going relatively smooth with the pregnancy. I had high-risk appointments every two weeks, checking that the girls were developing and that something called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS, wasn’t happening. On June 17th, things took an unexpected turn.

After a routine high-risk ultrasound, the doctor seemed alarmed by Harper’s health. He told us that the girls had developed what is called TAPS, or Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence. This is a rare complication that can occur in identical twins. There’s an imbalance of red blood cells between the babies, causing anemia. The doctor also explained how Harper had developed hydrops, which is a serious condition where she had fluid around her heart, lungs, and in her belly. She was also showing signs of heart defects.

My high-risk doctor wanted me to drive to UNC Chapel Hill the next morning to receive possible treatment from a specialist. He also wanted me to go to ECU labor and delivery that same night in order to receive steroid shots to help their lung development. Chris and I arrived at ECU, expecting to get the steroids and head home for the night, but this wasn’t the case.

They started to monitor the girls’ heart rates and were alarmed by Harper. Even though her heart was beating, it was almost a flat line at this point. The doctor at ECU stressed the severity of this and didn’t feel comfortable sending me home. They wanted to go ahead and admit me, but also wanted to airlift me to UNC Chapel Hill right then.

I arrived at UNC around midnight and instantly had the most difficult discussions of my life about the livelihood of our sweet girls. Doctors were very concerned with Harper and were telling me that she most likely wouldn’t make it if I had to deliver that night. They monitored me and the girls all night. We were able to talk to the specialist the next morning about “treatment options.” In reality, there was nothing they could do to save Harper.

We lost Harper May that day, on June 18th. It was a heartbreak that I didn’t know existed. Doctors continued to monitor Whitley. A few hours passed, and she seemed to be unaffected. About four hours passed, and then Whitley’s heart rate and blood pressure suddenly dropped. The doctor decided that we needed to have an emergency C-section in order to save Whitley.

Whitley was born at 24 weeks and 5 days, extremely premature. She was immediately rushed to the NICU in order to receive life support. When I woke up from anesthesia, Harper May was wrapped in a blanket with her little hat on. We were able to hold her and say our goodbyes to our sweet angel before they took her away.

Whitley is receiving critical care in the NICU, and we are expecting a 4-6 month stay at UNC. She is such a strong girl though. Even though most days present challenges, she has already made so many steps in the right direction. I will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House here so that I can be close by and see our baby girl every day in the NICU.

I won’t be working, and Chris will be intermittently working. Of course, we don’t expect anything, but any donations would go towards food, gas, and bills over the next several months. Please keep praying for Harper May in heaven, and for Whitley Lane on her long NICU journey. Thank you.