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Beth (Clifford) and Paul Koranda were excited and nervous when they found out they were having identical twin boys. Their daughter Dany who will be 2 in April next year will be a wonderful big sister. They were told at one of the early ultrasounds that there was a chance of Twin-to-Twin Syndrome (TTTS) developing. This is a disease of the placenta that twins who share a monochorionic placenta can develop. The shared placenta contains abnormal blood vessels which connect the umbilical cord and circulations of the twins. The placenta may also be shared unequally by the twins. This syndrome is completely random, not hereditary or genetic, nor caused by anything the parents did or did not do. It is also rare.
Unfortunately, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at a routine ultrasound, Beth was informed that she was in Stage 3 of TTTS. There are only 5 stages, with death of the twins being stage 5. Beth and Paul had to wait until the Monday after Thanksgiving to see a specialist at Lutheran General Hospital. Lutheran General is only 1 of 20 hospitals in the country that will perform a very specialized surgery called Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation. This is where surgeons use a laser to block blood vessels that communicate between the two fetuses.
The doctor told Beth and Paul that they qualified for the surgery and that they would try to get a team together that day to perform it. If the surgery is successful, both of the twins would only have a 50-60% chance of survival. On 11/30/15, Beth and the twins had surgery at 6 p.m. The surgery lasted 2.5 hours and the doctors removed 3.5 liters of fluid from one twin's sac and he lasered 11 vessels. The most vessels the doctor had ever lasered during one of these surgeries was 7-8. The next step was the 24 hour checkpoint. Beth had to go in the next day and have an ultrasound to confirm two heartbeats. Luckily, there were two heartbeats! Beth's doctor told her she will be on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy and her due date was April 1, 2016.
Her next appointment was one week after 12/1 when they confirmed the two heartbeats after surgery. At this appointment on 12/8/15 the doctor told Beth and Paul they could be admitted to hospital bedrest at any appointment. Beth had to have a steroid shot and would go have a second one on 12/9/15 to help with the twin's lung development. Beth goes back on Friday to check the status of the umbilical cords of both babies and the blood flow that wasn't as strong as the doctor would have liked it to be.
Beth and Paul will need help financially to support their twins, their daughter and their household bills. The twins, even if Beth makes it to 30 weeks pregnant, will still be in the NICU for sometime. Beth is a teacher and will run out of her paid days very quickly and carries the insurance. Paul just started a new job and has to work to keep his job. They will financially need help as soon as possible, and even more so when the twins are born.
Several people who work with Beth, including myself, felt like we needed to do this for the Koranda's. They are wonderful friends, and deserve to have less stress than they have. Lowering their stress by providing money where needed would be so helpful to them. Thank you for any donations and for your time. Beth and Paul are unaware of this campaign. We hope to surprise them one day with this!
Unfortunately, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at a routine ultrasound, Beth was informed that she was in Stage 3 of TTTS. There are only 5 stages, with death of the twins being stage 5. Beth and Paul had to wait until the Monday after Thanksgiving to see a specialist at Lutheran General Hospital. Lutheran General is only 1 of 20 hospitals in the country that will perform a very specialized surgery called Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation. This is where surgeons use a laser to block blood vessels that communicate between the two fetuses.
The doctor told Beth and Paul that they qualified for the surgery and that they would try to get a team together that day to perform it. If the surgery is successful, both of the twins would only have a 50-60% chance of survival. On 11/30/15, Beth and the twins had surgery at 6 p.m. The surgery lasted 2.5 hours and the doctors removed 3.5 liters of fluid from one twin's sac and he lasered 11 vessels. The most vessels the doctor had ever lasered during one of these surgeries was 7-8. The next step was the 24 hour checkpoint. Beth had to go in the next day and have an ultrasound to confirm two heartbeats. Luckily, there were two heartbeats! Beth's doctor told her she will be on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy and her due date was April 1, 2016.
Her next appointment was one week after 12/1 when they confirmed the two heartbeats after surgery. At this appointment on 12/8/15 the doctor told Beth and Paul they could be admitted to hospital bedrest at any appointment. Beth had to have a steroid shot and would go have a second one on 12/9/15 to help with the twin's lung development. Beth goes back on Friday to check the status of the umbilical cords of both babies and the blood flow that wasn't as strong as the doctor would have liked it to be.
Beth and Paul will need help financially to support their twins, their daughter and their household bills. The twins, even if Beth makes it to 30 weeks pregnant, will still be in the NICU for sometime. Beth is a teacher and will run out of her paid days very quickly and carries the insurance. Paul just started a new job and has to work to keep his job. They will financially need help as soon as possible, and even more so when the twins are born.
Several people who work with Beth, including myself, felt like we needed to do this for the Koranda's. They are wonderful friends, and deserve to have less stress than they have. Lowering their stress by providing money where needed would be so helpful to them. Thank you for any donations and for your time. Beth and Paul are unaware of this campaign. We hope to surprise them one day with this!
Organizer and beneficiary
Beth Koranda
Beneficiary