Maddox and Chase M. ~ Super Hero Alias: Wonder Twins Batman and Robin

Age: 4 years old
Weight at Birth:  1 lb 9 oz and 2 lbs
Weeks Gestation: 25 weeks
Time in the NICU: 90 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Severe prematurity, ROP, lung disease, apnea and PDA surgery

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

What happened at today’s baseball game is one of many examples of why my boys are preemies of the year. In our last game of the season, Maddox made a triple play which any baseball enthusiast knows that it is one of the rarest plays in the game of baseball. To help break down this amazing feat, here is a quick rundown of the play. Maddox was playing short stop when a boy at bat hit an air ball heading straight for Maddox. Maddox in his usual attentive self, caught the fly ball, then as another boy from the opposing team approached second base, he tagged the boy out then threw the ball to his team mate who was covering first causing three consecutive outs. Not to be outdone by his twin brother, Chase caught a ground ball and threw it to first base, which is a huge accomplishment for Chase because he prefers hockey. Today was an amazing day of great plays, hits and team work thanks to my preemies of the year. Before my dynamic duo was hitting balls, they were frail 23 weekers fighting for their life. At 23 weeks, my water broke leaving Maddox with very little fluid in his amniotic sac. The threat of early delivery also put Chase in extreme jeopardy. The night my water broke, the doctors told me that if the boys were to deliver at 23 weeks, they would have very little chance of survival or if they survived, they would suffer from lifelong disabilities. Because of my twin pregnancy and ruptured membranes at 23 weeks, I had to remain on hospital bed rest until delivery. Two weeks later, I developed an infection and the boys were delivered by emergency c-section. At 25 weeks, Maddox and Chase entered the world weighing 2lbs and 1lb 9 ounces. Instead of November 6, 2005 being one of the happiest, it was one of the saddest, scariest days of our life. Overnight, I went from joyful expectant mother to a mother who sobbed daily at their bedside in the NICU. Both boys suffered from lung disease, apnea, ROP and other illnesses that plague 25 weekers. On top of a long list of complications, the blood flow to Maddox’s heart was in jeopardy so at 28 weeks, he needed PDA surgery. After a 90 day stay in the NICU, and countless steps forward and more steps back, Maddox and Chase finally came home. Not only are they excelling on the field, but also in school. At a recent parent teacher conference, our very first one by the way, their teacher told us that they both ranked master/proficient in all curriculum categories. For years, I wondered why we weren’t lucky enough to have a story book beginning, but the story that is unfolding before us; one that is filled with sweet moments like today’s triple play or hearing that your boys are math whizzes at school makes the road less traveled that much more rewarding. [Read more...]