Spelich, Jaret Paul

[left:efbbece519]http://www.cherubs-cdh.org/Album/new/spelich3.jpg[/left:efbbece519]This is the story of my little cherub. Frank and I were married for three and a half years and thought we would never have children. I had a tubal pregnancy 13 years earlier and was told there was only a 30% chance I would ever conceive. After our wedding, we decided to let nature take its course, and if we got pregnant that would be great; if not, that was okay too. Imagine our surprise when after being a week late, I took a test and it was positive. We waited until an ultrasound confirmed the pregnancy was okay before telling the grandparents. They were all thrilled. Franks parents have no other grandchildren. Mine always have love for more.

I developed gestational diabetes after 20 weeks. I was sent to a specialist in the area to be monitored. He performed a sonogram and confirmed that the baby was doing fine. I was told by both doctors that I was carrying a large amount of fluid. They said that was normal for my condition. I controlled my sugar with diet and exercise. I had a total of six sonograms between 20 weeks and up to a few days before delivery. They were done by both doctors. Everything was said to be perfect.

After 12 hours of labor and a perfect delivery, we were told we had a son, 7 lbs 7 oz 22 1/2", and he was having a little trouble breathing. They thought it might be a collapsed lung. The NICU team took him after letting me hold him for his father to take a picture. I was taken to a room and told to wait for the doctors to come and talk to us.

Imagine our shock when the first doctor came in and told us the problem was very serious. We needed to decide where to send our baby for treatment. We were in shock and asked the doctor for his recommendation. He said Rainbow Babies hospital in Cleveland was his first choice. We gave consent, and he said he would make the arrangements for a life-flight helicopter and see if they had a bed available. After an hour, they had Jaret stable enough for us to see him. He was hooked to so many wires and tubes that I could only hold his little hand. I had no idea it was going to get so much worse. The team arrived to take him away and told us he only had a 20% chance of surviving the flight. My heart was breaking as they wheeled him away from me. I could not leave the hospital until the next morning because the other hospital was an hour away.

Many friends and family members came to the hospital to offer their support. My husband and father-in-law left as soon as the helicopter took off so they could be with our son. It was the longest day of my life waiting for the word that he made it. The doctors were waiting for Frank when he arrived. They were so very helpful to him. They told him Jaret had a left congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and it was very severe. The chances he would make it were very slim. They explained the ECMO machine and the surgery he would need. All we could do for the first day was pray. The longer he held on, the better his chances of surviving the surgery would be.

I was released from the hospital at 6 a.m. the next day. I had to stop at home and pack some clothes for my husband and myself. The moment I walked by the nursery, I lost control. I sat on the floor and sobbed. This was not how it was supposed to be. Then I felt a calm come over me; I'll never be able to explain. I knew I had to hold it together for this special little boy. He was born for a reason and would be fine if I could just be there for him. The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever.

The moment we arrived, my father-in-law met me at the door. He took me up to the second floor with tears in his eyes. The nurse who was taking care of Jaret met me at the door and tried to prepare me for the sight of my baby all hooked up to the machines. Nothing can prepare you for that sight. He looked so small and vulnerable. I wanted to pick him up and just hold him tight.

Three days after his birth, we were told he was ready for the surgery. Again, we were given odds that seemed impossible to beat. He pulled through the surgery with flying colors. The doctors told us the longer he could last before going on ECMO, the better his chances. He lasted 48 hours before his hypertension got too bad, and the decision was made he couldn't wait any longer. Dr. Stork was his EMCO doctor, and she was pleased he had given them that much time. Waiting again for the worst news, he once again surprised everyone. He remained on ECMO for 8 days. The day he came off was the scariest and most hopeful day yet.

Within a few hours, his chest had filled with fluid and was compressing his lungs and shifting his heart over again. He had to have 3 separate chest tubes put in over the next few days. After a week, he was showing signs of being ready to come off the Nitrix Oxide and the vent. I finally got to hold my son when he was 20 days old. The next day, he had a set back and had to go back on the vent. That was a crushing blow. He had to be put back on just after midnight; it was now my birthday. His dad and I sat with him while they reintubated him. The nurses said we could step out, but we just couldn't leave him to go through this alone.

Two days later he came off the vent for good. Daddy finally got to hold his little boy. He was now 24 days old. The progress from there was slow but steady. We moved from the NICU to the step-down unit just before the 4th of July. We could now stay right in the room with him 24 hours a day. It was our home away from home. He slowly came out of the oxygen hood and went to nasal cannulas. Three weeks later, we were finally able to bring our son home. He was sent home with an NG tube for feeding, but free of oxygen. We were thrilled, scared, and very unsure of what to do next.

The next few weeks passed by in a blur of feedings, and replacing NG tubes. Jaret was on medication that made his reflux terrible. After getting his feedings, he would vomit half of what he ate. Our little man didn't like having anything up his nose, so he pulled his tube out daily. After working with several therapists, we could still not get him to drink from a bottle. I started mixing his milk with cereal to thicken it and fed it to him off a spoon. Just little tastes at a time. He loved it. Dr. Stork suggested taking the NG tube out for a week and trying to maintain his weight. We spoon-fed him every 2 hours around the clock for a week. He gained 4 ounces. “Keep going” was all the doctors could say. He has been without the tube ever since. The first month was the hardest, but as his stamina increased, and he grew larger, he could eat larger meals less often. The vomiting stopped when the tube was out, and the solids were much easier for him to hold down.

I am happy to say Jaret is now 11 months old, and we are happily planning his first birthday party. We have been lucky Jaret has not been back in the hospital since we brought him home. We hope to keep it that way. With a little luck and a lot of prayers, he continues to grow stronger every day. I wish everyone could have the happy ending we have, and my heart breaks for all the mothers who lost their little ones. Be sure they are in heaven watching over us all. Thank you for sharing our story.


Written by Jaret's Mom, Monica Spelich (Ohio)
2001