Mia Fights Gastroschisis
Donation protected
At 12 weeks pregnant we were told our baby would be born with a birth defect called Gastroschisis and had to be delivered at Hartford Hospital, would be sent to surgery right away and would need to stay in the NICU for atleast 3-4 months. Gastroschisis is a birth defect of the abdominal (belly) wall. The baby's intestines are found outside of the baby's body, exiting through a hole beside the belly button.
We didn’t know what Gastroschisis was so we turned to the internet, to only find the worst. We tried to stay positive but couldn’t help but feel worried and a bit broken hearted. Even when the doctors told us over and over again that they were confident she’d be fine, we still had so many other questions with little answers not knowing what to expect. At 20 weeks the doctors at Maternal Fetal Medicine told us she had a blockage in her bowel, and what happened next we did not expect. The day of the unknown came and at 35 weeks Mia decided she was coming out early. Her bowel decided to go back in on it's own and unfortunately the blockage made it so there was no blood flowing throughout the rest of her bowel and it had died. We are currently working with 20cm of bowel, her bowel is not connected to her colon. The surgeons are hopeful that leaving it disconnected will give her bowels time to grow and heal into healthy tissue. Mia is continuing to show us she is a Gastro Warrior and we are praying she is able to break out of the NICU and to come home with us soon.
We also have two other daughters, a 6 and a 7 year old who come with us every day to visit their baby sister. Our commute to the hospital is about 1 hour and 20 minutes. With Jorge being out of work and Katelyn being a stay at home mom, recovering from her Csection, trying to be with their newborn in the NICU and trying to support a family of now 5, bills and expenses are piling up. We are not the type of family to just ask for things to be given to us, nor do we like to take from anyone. Unfortunately with things being so tight right now, we need to ask for some help. Please pray for Mia, and if you are able to donate big or small or just share this we are so, so grateful for all of your support. We will try and keep everyone as updated as possible.
We didn’t know what Gastroschisis was so we turned to the internet, to only find the worst. We tried to stay positive but couldn’t help but feel worried and a bit broken hearted. Even when the doctors told us over and over again that they were confident she’d be fine, we still had so many other questions with little answers not knowing what to expect. At 20 weeks the doctors at Maternal Fetal Medicine told us she had a blockage in her bowel, and what happened next we did not expect. The day of the unknown came and at 35 weeks Mia decided she was coming out early. Her bowel decided to go back in on it's own and unfortunately the blockage made it so there was no blood flowing throughout the rest of her bowel and it had died. We are currently working with 20cm of bowel, her bowel is not connected to her colon. The surgeons are hopeful that leaving it disconnected will give her bowels time to grow and heal into healthy tissue. Mia is continuing to show us she is a Gastro Warrior and we are praying she is able to break out of the NICU and to come home with us soon.
We also have two other daughters, a 6 and a 7 year old who come with us every day to visit their baby sister. Our commute to the hospital is about 1 hour and 20 minutes. With Jorge being out of work and Katelyn being a stay at home mom, recovering from her Csection, trying to be with their newborn in the NICU and trying to support a family of now 5, bills and expenses are piling up. We are not the type of family to just ask for things to be given to us, nor do we like to take from anyone. Unfortunately with things being so tight right now, we need to ask for some help. Please pray for Mia, and if you are able to donate big or small or just share this we are so, so grateful for all of your support. We will try and keep everyone as updated as possible.
Organizer
Katelyn Gabrielle
Organizer
Ledyard Center, CT