At 4am on July 24, 2013 my wife Erin was rushed into the delivery room.
She tried to hide the pain with a smile and a few nervous jokes. She later told me if she wasn’t laughing, she would have been crying.
Our baby’s heartbeat had gone down.
They needed to get him out – and fast. Erin delivered our baby by emergency cesarean section. He would be born at only 25 weeks…
…Alone and terrified, I waited. Listening and praying for a sound – any sound. Yet, still no wail of a newborn baby, no cries from Erin.
After what seemed an eternity, they told me Erin was fine. However, there were complications with the baby. My heart sank.
The doctor put his hand on my leg. He said the words no parent should ever have to hear. “I am so sorry,” he said, I don’t think your baby is going to make it… he hasn’t been breathing for 15 minutes.”
A million thoughts ran through my head — Would Erin survive this? Would we survive this? But I still had faith, I still prayed.
After a call to my mom, the doctor came back into the room. “We have never seen this before,” he said. “After 18 minutes we were able to resuscitate your child.”
I later found out one of the doctors had fought for a second team to try to revive him.. she will always be a living angel to us!
My wife Erin came out of her sedation and the next thing I remember we were in the Newborn ICU. It was there I saw Greyson for the first time.
I am actually getting goose bumps as I type this – he was amazing – so perfect and at 1 lb, 14 oz, so teeny-tiny. I got my first picture of him and quietly feared it would be his only one.
Each day is a new miracle and he’s come a long way. Would I wish this experience on anyone? Not on my worst enemy. Yet I wouldn’t give it up for the world – our Little Lion is here and I love him and his mother more and more each day.
Greyson earned the nickname “Little Lion”, as he was born under the Leo stars, but more importantly he has shown courage, determination and strength. He fought through heart surgery, a brain hemorrhage, chronic lung disease and underdeveloped hearing and vision to develop into the healthy one year old he is today! Watching him grow and fight has been inspiring to our family.
Being the parents of a micro-preemie, has been a roller coaster, the highs of the love we have for our beautiful son but also the lows of terrifying illnesses and complications.
Greyson wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the prayers of family and friends and the skill of the dedicated doctors and nurses at BC Women’s Newborn ICU, and the support and prayers of all our family and friends.
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