Sawyer, Thomas

[left:7ed4c802b1]http://www.cherubs-cdh.org/Album/new/sawyer-thomas.jpg[/left:7ed4c802b1]My son Thomas Lee Sawyer was born on March 4, 1998, with CDH. My husband and I were so excited that the time had finally gotten here. I had an unusually easy pregnancy with no complications at all. I had an ultrasound at 14 weeks to make sure how far along I was. At that time there were signs of problems. Since there was no sign of needing any other tests I didn't have another ultrasound. I went into active labor at 10:00 PM and he was delivered at 2:00 am at St. Mary's Hospital. Very quick labor but a long road after that. They immediately noticed that there were problems. He wasn't breathing but very shallowly and they couldn't get him to cry out. They took him immediately to the nursery and began working on him. The hospital I delivered at does not have a neonatal unit and are not used to having babies born with major problems. They were really quick and observant of his problems though. They found the CDH and notified a local hospital, Park Place Hospital-NICU, that they would be transporting him at once. Shortly the paramedics arrived and they began to bag him. The paramedics stopped in my room on the way out long enough for me to reach into his incubator and touch him. I was hysterical. My parents stayed with me while my sister road with my husband. They stayed with him every step of the way. I was left lying in my hospital bed with two Polaroid pictures of my baby. I was so scared and so empty.

The doctors called me at the hospital, as did my husband, to let me know that he would require surgery as soon as they could stabilize him enough. It would probably be a day or two. They also said that he would have to be brought to either Houston or Galveston because they were the only ones with an ECMO unit. It would be a last resort but they had to prepare for the possibility. I waited at the hospital to be discharged. I was fortunate enough that my doctor allowed me to be released within eight hours of delivery and I was on my way to Galveston, John Sealy Hospital. We thought we would have a day or two to wait before they would do surgery but when my parents and I arrived in Galveston they were preparing him to go to the OR. He had his surgery at 13 hours old. They allowed me and my husband to wait in the doctor on call room so that I could try to rest. They gave me some medicine to take and I finally fell asleep. When they came in it was to tell us he had made it through the surgery and now we would have to wait and see if he could fight to heal. The first 24 hours would be the hardest and most critical. We went to get a hotel room because they insisted I get some rest. I waited all night to be able to go back to the hospital. My father stayed there with Thomas that night and promised he'd call if anything at all happened. We were up and at the hospital by 5:30.Visitation would be at 6:00.He stayed the same for five days. Steadily improving and no complications. On Monday they asked us to step outside because they were going to remove him from the ventilator. We could come back as soon as they were through. When we returned he was under an oxygen hood. Later that day they placed in on an oxygen tube. It was then that they brought a chair and asked if I would like to hold my son. I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked. My husband and I both cried. After we spent some time with him, Daniel - my husband, went out and got my mother. He just told her to come in but didn't tell her. When she came around the corner I asked if she would like to hold her grandson. She just began to cry. After that things started going pretty fast. It seems everyday we were closer and closer to going home. We started getting to give him his baths and holding him more often. We started trying to breast feed on Wednesday. If he could eat and gain some weight on his own without IV feeds then we could go home. The doctors and nurses all said that it was the fastest recovery from CDH that they had ever seen.

We were ready to leave the hospital Friday. That morning they took him in for his circumcision and then we could get him dressed in his homecoming outfit. I have never been so excited or nervous in my life. He wasn't gaining weight like he should but we were having trouble with the breast feeding. His doctor said to give him a chance at home were we would both be more comfortable and if he still wasn't gaining to see his pediatrician. When we got home all was good except he was noticeably losing weight and was eating every hour. They told me I needed to put him on formula and see what happened. He gained a pound within 24 hours. I have never seen anything like it. Since then we have had no problems and everything has been great so far. (With the exception of the everyday baby ear infections.) Within six weeks he was released by all his doctors and surgeons with a clean bill of health. We were very fortunate that our case wasn't as serious and severe as some of those that we have read about but we thank God every day for the miracle he gave us to be our son. We are now trying for another child since Thomas is 18 months old. I pray we don't have a recurrence of his birth but if we do I know we will have to just pray a lot and wait for the best. I would just like to say that we could not have gotten through it all without the help, support, and prayers of both our families and friends. We had a tremendous amount of visitors at the hospital and calls of prayer and assistance. We stayed at the Ronald McDonald house in Galveston and they were a God send. That place was a tremendous help, emotionally and financially. I would recommend it to anyone.


Written by Thomas' mom, Michelle Sawyer (Virginia)
2000