Reagon & Ikey K. ~ Super Hero Alias: Resilient Reagon & Ikey the Invincible

Age: 7 years
Weight at Birth: 1 lb 15 oz each
Weeks Gestation: 26 weeks 5 days
Time in the NICU: 97 and 98 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?

Reagon: grade 3 bleeds (IVH) in both sides of brain, PIE, multiple blood transfusions, constant As and Bs, PDA.

Ikey: mild ROP, bilateral inguinal hernia repair, multiple blood transfusions, constant As and Bs, PDA.

Why should your children be recognized as “Preemies of the Year”?

These little boys were not supposed to do as well as they have.  I had been in the hospital for the week before they were born being treated with magnesium sulfate to stop the labor.  Contractions subsided, so I was discharged on a Thursday morning.  I went home on strict bedrest (had already been on bedrest since 24 weeks.)  Four hours later, with severe pain, my husband rushed me to the hospital, 10 cm on arrival, and within 21 minutes, Ikey and Reagon were born by emergency c-section.  They had an extremely rough start, and several weeks of the unknown.  Here are a couple of things they endured while in the hospital.

Doctors had to work to collapse Reagon’s lung to hopefully relieve him of all of the pockets of fluid in it (PIE), at the same time as watching his grade 3 bleeds in his brain.  He endured so many As and Bs in the hospital, that there were not even spots in the chart to record them all.  He was finally discharged from the NICU after three months, only to stop breathing in my arms at home two days later.  He had an undiagnosed UTI and was septic.  He was rushed to Children’s, which was at Brack at the time, and was revived.  He was a very sick little baby.  Now, he is a robust 52 pound 7 year old second grader, who plays tennis, baseball, football and rides his bike to school.

Ikey endured multiple blood transfusions. When we would arrive at the NICU to visit the babies, Ikey would be a dark red color, and we knew he had received more blood that day.  He had more than his brother.  He had minor ROP, and during his last week in the NICU, when he was stable enough, he had bilateral inguinal hernia repair.  He, too, had constant As and Bs during his stay.  He now is a whopping 49 pound 7 year old second grader.  He is also very active and loves all sports.

When the boys were admitted to the NICU, they were put in the far back corner of bay 6.  They stayed in that spot for two and a half months.  They were never feeders and growers.  They were just trying to breathe.  They are both amazing, smart, humorous, athletic and just wonderful.  They love to play sports with their big brother Walker (35 weeker) and their friends.  They are just a delight to be around.

Why should these little boys be recognized as “Preemies of the Year”?  Well, they are just remarkable little boys who have been through far more than most people will ever go through in their entire lives.  And, thanks to the fantastic doctors and nurses at the Seton NICU, they are here with us today and could not be doing better!

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