Ziggy's Journey (Ziggy Strong)

On August 25, our lives changed. Ziggy Pryor Lowe, 6 weeks old, was rushed to the ER. He was screaming whenever he was moved, & his breathing was labored. He was given a spinal tap, & the Dr.'s determined he may have Meningitis. They called Boston Childrens Hospital, because they couldn't treat it. Childrens Hospital arrived via ambulance & transported him to Boston. Upon arrival, it was clear tha Ziggy had Meningitis. He would need life support to take the burden off of his tiny body. The ECMO machine https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/e/ecmo. was hooked up. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenization, takes over the heart, & cleans the blood. It is also a tool to get the broad spectrum antibiotics in his body, until the culture from the spinal tap, was able to grow enough to tell them exactly the strain he had. He was also intubated, to allow his lungs to take a load off while he was fighting all of this. The Dr.'s told us they suspected it was GBS Meningitis.https://www.meningitisnow.org/meningitis-explained/what-is-meningitis/types-and-causes/group-b-streptococcal-meningitis/ But, they couldn't be for sure until the culture was grown. After a day, it was indeed GBS. (His mama had been tested for GBS; as are all pregnant mamas...she showed negative). He was given targeted antibiotics, & they worked. The next three days, his blood work showed no infection. The next hurdle was removing life support, & giving his brain a CT Scan. He couldn't be given an MRI, because the ECMO machine is magnetic.  Ziggy's mama had taken him to the Dr. Days before this to tell him that Ziggy seemed in pain, didn't feed well, & liked to be held a certain way. He offered a probiotic, which is reasonable. It sounded like colic. Although... now, after researching, we know that these symptoms, along with being unable to regulate his temperature at birth, may be signs of GBS.  The ECMO was removed. His heart beat as strong as ever. We had hope. All of the prayers, & energy had worked. They didn't want to remove his breathing tube until his CT Scan came back. We had to wait for a few hours. We were all tired from 5 scary days at the hospital, but we all still had this hope. He'd be special needs, we thought, but he'd be with us. The CT Scan came back, & he did not have the brain activity to sustain life. He would be on life support forever. He wouldn't ever know his parents. He would never wake up. His parents were devastated. So much sorrow. It was time to plan his last leg of life. His critical care nurse, Lisa, who had also lost her own child, organized Ziggy's farewell on the rooftop garden of Boston Children's Hospital. We had spent some time up there with his big (2 1/2 years old) brother, Micah. It was lovely. On Ziggy's 6th day in the hospital, security closed off the elevators & the gardens, & escorted us all, Mama, Dada, Gigi, Papa's, Tio Jake, & Aunt CiCi, up the elevator..protecting Ziggy from curious eyes. On the rooftop, his two nurses, one of whom had also lost a child, the head of the ICU, the anesthesiologist, whom had lost his own baby boy, cried along with us all. We watched Ziggys mama & Dada hold him, & rock him in unison, all the while whispering to him, telling him how proud, how sorry, & how much they love him. Ziggy fought for an hour, & then took his last breaths while the people who love him most in the world, said goodbye.  We journeyed, once again, down through the elevators, back to 7 south, the ICU. As the hallway was once again lined with tears. His Mama & Dada, washed their beautiful boy for the last time. They dressed him in his constellation pjs, & wrapped him in his southwestern swaddle blanket.  When it was time to call for the nurse to take Ziggy...she came in, leaned into his mama & said " I saw you last week at the kids music show, I saw Ziggy." An indescribable moment. The person that my beautiful, kind daughter would have to hand her baby over to, for the last time...knew him. Had seen him alive & beautiful. Ziggy's mama & Dada were Highschool sweethearts. He was a wrestler, & she was a show choir geek.  Danielle Marie Lowe, was a professionally, Julliard trained dancer, who chose to become a nanny & dance teacher to stay home with her babies. Joshua Lowe, works at Gordon College, Physical Plant, in Wenham, Massachusetts, where he is learning to become an electrician. His Papa & Gigi live in Scarborough, Maine. Danielle & Josh would never, ever think of asking for help. They live within their means, budget, buy used clothing & toys at Goodwill, & Danielle plans & cooks meals at home. This is difficult for them to ask for help. We've convinced them to try. They are facing a lifetime of debt trying to save their baby boy. We would ALL do the same. EVERY penny raised will go to medical expenses. For this you have our word! Please consider them. & if you can't help monetarily, then please honor Ziggy by hugging your babies, & your loved ones. Love is ALL there is. Thank you from the depth of our souls. Peace to you all   Thank you, Forever, & always,  Ziggy's Gigi & Papa (Randy & Stacy Sargent)