Life Is Good: March for Babies

Monday, January 26, 2009

March for Babies

It's that time of year again!

Please help us raise money for the March of Dimes. Through support from all of us we can help more miracles like Ryan survive! We know many, many babies who have been born early. Some have lived and unfortunately some have died. Please help us make a difference! You can donate by clicking on March for Babies on the sidebar.

Also...we would love, love, love for you to join our team. Last year we really had fun at the walk (other than it was a little chilly). For those of you worried about the amount of walking involved, we walked the short walk (one time around the city block). It was so short we almost decided to walk another round, so NO EXCUSES! For the brave souls there is also a 5.5 mile walk in the beautiful parts of downtown OKC. Half of our team walked the long walk last year and they said it was great fun! Please join us. It's a fantastic way to get to know people and see all the miracles God has given to these beautiful families. It is truly a testimony of God's great love to see so many babies who "shouldn't be here" by the world's standard alive and well on the day of the walk. I feel like the March of Dimes is one tool God uses to equip our medical professionals for saving the lives of babies born too early or born with birth defects.

Our team name: Miracles of Mercy
Our team members so far: Wade, Julie, Ryan, Brian, Janelle, Connor and Macy
Our team goal: $1000

Last year we raised well over $1000 and were awarded several awards for the family team raising the most money. That's an awesome accomplishment! I'm not into awards. If we were to win no awards it doesn't matter to me one bit. All I want to be able to say is that "we made a difference!"

The Walk is May 2, 2009 at the Myriad Gardens.

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander