Aybra
* Age: 2 * Born at 26 weeks gestation *
When my sister's water broke at 25 weeks, we knew the situation was serious. We'd been through preterm birth twice and we knew what the odds were and they weren't good. At 25 weeks, survival is only 50%.
For 10 days, they were able to hold off delivery and the chance of survival grew. On day 10, Aybra had stopped growing and was getting weaker. An emergency c-section was performed as soon as the team could be assembled.
Aybra was born on March 31, 2008 at 26 weeks gestation (3.5 months early), weighing only 1 pound, 14 ounces. She was so small, my husband could place his hand over her entire body.
She couldn't breathe on her own and wasn't strong enough to eat. She had a brain bleed and problems with her eyes. For six weeks, she progressed slowly, but steadily, getting a little closer each day to finally getting to come off of the ventilator. Week six, we got the good news. She was ready to come off the ventilator and move to a stepdown unit! That little room was our home for the next 6 weeks.
After 92 days, a weight gain of 4 pounds, and weekly MRI's tomonitor the brain bleed... she finally got to go home. She's now 2 and, aside from being on the small side, is a perfectly normal little girl. She adores Robert Pattinson, believes she's Dora the Explorer, loves jewelry, and is not afraid to lay the smackdown on her two older brothers.
With her, our family was incredibly lucky. She not only survived, but the complication's she's faced as a result of her early birth have been inconsequential thus far.
~Ayden
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