Please Honor Our Miracles

Hello to all of our wonderful friends and family!!! I sent this out as an email to many of you, but wanted to post it here for everyone else.

Yes, it's that time of year again, when I make my annual plea of sponsorship for the cause that is so very near and dear to our hearts...The March of Dimes: WalkAmerica. We are so thankful to The March of Dimes every single day. Without them, my 3 amazing miracles would not be here with us! Jackson, Logan, and Tristan all are here with us today AND thriving, due to receiving Surfactant Therapy to help their severely immature lungs shortly after their birth, which was at only 27 weeks of gestation (that's 13 weeks early). They also all received the drug Indomethacin to close holes in their hearts. Jackson also received Nitric Oxide Therapy when he was at his worst. All of these therapies are in use today specifically because of March of Dimes research.

Some of you may be familiar with what these tiny little guys had to endure in their first few months of tender life, some of you may not. Here is a reminder....

Jackson, Logan, and Tristan Mazer came into this world quite unexpectedly due to severe pre-eclampsia, at only 27 weeks 3 days gestation. They were delivered via emergency c-section one minute apart from each other weighing only about 2 pounds each, and were whisked away very quickly to the NICU by a team of at least 15 people. Jackson and Tristan both had initial APGAR scores of zero. All three boys were vented, and closely monitored. I had now entered a world that I never knew existed, called NICU….and felt like that by the time we left 4 ½ months later…that I had earned an honorary Masters Degree in Neonatology.

Each of the boys received Surfactant Therapy for their underdeveloped lungs, and antibiotics for any infection they may have had. All three boys went under the Bili Lights to reverse the jaundice that had set in. As the days went on, I came to find that Jackson (the smallest of the trio), had a Grade 4 IVH (brain bleed). This is the worst grade. I was also told that he would probably never walk, and that he would have CP (neither came true). They later included PVL (Periventricular Leukomalacia) to the diagnosis along with the bleed. All three boys had holes in their hearts that had not closed, called PDAs. They each received multiple rounds of the drug Indomethycin to try to close the hole. It worked after 2-3 rounds for Logan and Tristan, however not for Jackson. A Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon was brought in to do a PDA Ligation on him at just 3 weeks of age, and only 2 pounds. This surgery seemed to be a success.

The boys endured so much over their extended stays in the NICU…countless heel sticks, blood transfusions, pneumonia more than once, PIC lines, IV’s everywhere, including their scalps, hypertension, Caffeine therapy for A’s & B’s, ROP, RDS, CLD, BPD, Colitis, and too much more! It was a whole month before I was even able to hold Jackson for the very first time, and two months before Jackson got off the vent!!!!

My one goal was for the boys to all be co-bedded in an open crib together before they came home. Logan and Tristan went back and forth on and off CPAP-Nasal Canulas, and back again quite a few times, before they were finally able to go to open cribs. FINALLY Jackson got to join his brothers, although he was still on nasal canulas. Besides holding my babies for the first time, individually and then together…it was by far, my happiest NICU moment.

At this point Logan and Tristan would most likely be going home within a few days…but this was not to happen, because somehow Tristan got sick…REALLY sick. It was RSV, and four days later Jackson got it too. Back onto the vent and into isolation they went, and we almost lost both of them more than once. We still don’t know how Logan didn’t get it. Both boys were vented for about a month. It was literally like we were starting the WHOLE process over again. This time around, the conventional vent was not working. We were introduced to new things: the High Frequency Jet, the Oscillator, and Nitric Oxide. Fentanol, Adavan, and Morophine. Tristan was slowly improving, but Jackson was not.

The worst moment occurred when I received a phone call at 5:00am from the attending Neonatologist, who told me to come in ASAP. They weren’t sure that Jackson would make it for much longer. There was talk of ECHMO, but didn’t think that he was strong enough to survive the transport into NY City. A specialist was brought in, and did some very unconventional things with the vent settings…

Miraculously Jackson started slowly improving throughout the day, and he never turned back. A month and a half later he was FINALLY ready to go home with oxygen and monitors.

Logan came home after a 3 month stay in the NICU. Tristan came home after 4 months, and Jackson came home after 4 ½ months…and stayed on his oxygen and monitors for another 4 months after that.

Although we are still dealing with many residual lung and sensory issues three years later, I have never felt more blessed or more thankful in my entire life for anything. My three precious miracles are the most amazing gifts from GOD, whom I thank everyday! I am forever indebted to The March of Dimes and the Staff at Stony Brook for saving my truly amazing boys’ lives!

Please help give other preemies a chance for survival by donating funds to the March of Dimes on behalf of Jackson, Logan, and Tristan Mazer. Stuart, Wendi, and the boys will be taking part in WalkAmerica on April 29, 2007. Please sponsor us by clicking this link. Thank you!

PS...If you live in the area, please think about walking with us!!! There is a spot on the left hand side of our March of Dimes website in the link, where you can register to walk on our team (Team Club Triple Play)!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!