Support RaeAnna's Twins' Fight for Life

RaeAnna and Michael found out they were pregnant with twins on January 3rd 2024 and found out not only were they having twins but they were Monochorionic diamniotic twins which means that there were two sacs and one placenta. The doctors told them that they could end up with TTTS which is twin to twin transfusion syndrome and one baby could dominate over the other and take all the nutrients and leave the other with none so they had appointments twice a month until they seen that there were signs of TTTS so they got sent to Iowa City to see high risk doctors on Feb 27th and they confirmed it and wanted them to be seen once a week and had to still go to RaeAnna’s regular OB weekly also. On March 22nd they went to their normal appointment in Iowa city and seen that it had gotten worse and said that they needed surgery right away or one of the twins weren’t gonna make it through the pregnancy. They told them that the only places that could do the surgery that was closest to them was Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or somewhere downtown Chicago so the next day they drove to Minnesota and got the selective laser ablation of placental anastomoses which is where they go in with a laser and laser the placenta so the babies have their own placenta. They kept an eye on the twins for a couple days and said that it looks like they were already doing better after the surgery. They went back home to Iowa and had went to their normal appointment in iowa city on March 26th and they said that everything still looked good and the surgery was successful. On April 2nd they went back to Iowa city and they said that there was poor fetal growth and there was a 2-10% chance of getting TAPS syndrome post surgery which is when both babies share red blood cells unequally and one baby is anemic and the other would be polycythemia. They got sent back to Mayo Clinic April 3rd and were told that they had three options to either try a blood transfusion, another laser surgery which they would go in blind and wouldn’t be able to see any of the tiny vessels they missed last surgery, or lose one of the babies. So they obviously chose to go with the blood transfusion. After the surgery on April 4th they said that it seemed like both babies were doing better already. They got sent home and went to their weekly appointment on April 8th in iowa city and they saw that the anemic baby couldn’t handle that much blood flow and it was too much for him with the small connected vessels in the placenta that were still intact he was still giving the excess blood that he couldn’t handle to the other baby who had polycythemia which made his blood thicker and his body had to fight harder. They went back to Minnesota and did another blood transfusion for the anemic baby and took blood from the other baby. After that blood transfusion they had went back to Minnesota two more time in two weeks to get blood transfusions and the last one they also did another laser surgery and got 6 of the vessels they missed the first laser surgery at 24 weeks. They thought since they got 6 vessels that it would by them more time which it did but their 26 week appointment the signs of TAPS were still there plus there was membrane separation, the babies had flipped spots, and they both had bad heart functions so the doctors in Iowa city told them that they either had to deliver the next day or continue the pregnancy and give birth to still-borns. They went in the next day and delivered at 26 weeks to two little boys that weighed 1lb 7oz and 1lb 11oz. Since being in the nicu baby A has had 8 blood transfusions, brain surgery from having too much fluid around his brain, he will have to have another brain surgery in the future to place a VP shunt, was sick with pneumonia, now has a staff infection, and his PDA in his heart hasn’t fully closed. Baby B has had a couple blood transfusions, had lung and kidney problems, and has been sick with mrsa for the last 30 days. Baby B should be out of the nicu by their due date (august 7th) if everything goes well and baby A will be there a little longer. Since all of the surgeries in Minnesota and appointments twice a week on top of it RaeAnna missed a lot of worked and ended up losing her job and Michael had to miss a whole month of work and is still currently working. RaeAnna is staying in Iowa city with the two babies and their 2 yr old daughter. RaeAnna also went back home on June 13th for a couple days to run some errands and she took Michael to work and on her way home her and her daughter got T-boned with the other driver running a flashing red light and hitting the passenger side where their daughter sits. They are both currently okay but their only vehicle isn’t drivable due to the airbags deploying and the whole side of it is smashed in.