On November 17, 2012 my life changed. I was exactly 35 weeks pregnant expecting our second baby girl. We were overjoyed that our family would be expanding, and that our daughter Isabel would soon have a sister. November 17, 5 weeks before my due date, I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl I have ever laid eyes on. Although I did not get to hold her right away because she was immediately swept away into special care. My nurses and doctor wheeled my delivery bed over to a small window throw a door so I could try to catch a glimpse of our daughter. I could only see her little feet and legs, I was completely in love. A that moment something in my heart completely changed. I don't think I'll ever fully be able to explain to anyone what changed, but I just knew there was something very special about that girl, and that God had given us something "extra ordinary". She was taken to a children's hospital a few blocks away from the hospital I delivered. Due to my diagnoses of pre-eclampsia I was not allowed to leave the hospital for 12 hours after birth so I could not be with our Sophia. I sent my husband to be by her side. Finally around 6pm that evening almost 13 hours after giving birth to her, I held her in my arms. She had wires, and IVS in her, she was on a ventilator, but she was perfect. I'll never forget those moments of holding her for the first time. God had answered our prayers. Sophia was in my arms and the sweetest little thing. Over the next few days, the doctors in the NICU started talking about Sophia's "abnormalities" and they brought in a geneticists. They suggested we do chromosome testing. On Sophia's one week birthday, we received a call from her Doctor in the NICU. He wanted to set up a meeting with my husband, Ethan and me. We made it for 10:30 that morning. During that meeting Sophia's doctor told us that our baby girl had FullTrisomy 13 and she would most likely not be with us very long. The emotions that surged through my body at that moment were unbelievable. We decided with the doctor on a comfort and quality of life over number of days lived for our daughter. The hardest decision a parent ever has to make. My husband and I gathered our thoughts together and walked out of the room hand in hand to go give the news to my parents who were in the waiting room. That afternoon Sophia was moved from the NICU to the palliative care floor. We met with a hospice nurse. Our family flooded in from out of town all to meet Sophia. We took Sophia home on Sunday November 25. I was so scared to bring her home, but my husband had such courage and strength and told me "Sarah, we need to bring home our little girl". I am so thankful for his leadership in our family and for the courage he had to bring home our daughter. She was home with us from November 25 thru December 3 when she left us to be with Jesus. Her days at home were filled with love, snuggling, laughing and some crying too.
Our Angel ~ Sophia Ann Allen
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