FOREVER LOVED SESSION- Please read, share and pray for the progress of this young girl. I WOULD ADVISE ANYONE PREGNANT OR EXPECTING TO HAVE A CHILD IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO PLEASE READ. Samantha was born in Pomona California on May 11, 2007 as a full term perfectly healthy baby. Tina, Samantha’s mothers pregnancy was extremely blissful and normal. Samantha was released from the hospital with a bit of jaundice, nothing abnormal from her older sister as well as many other babies born unto this world daily. Because she was a breastfed baby, the nurses advised her mother Tina to alternate between breast and bottle to assist with the jaundice as well as exposing the baby to indirect sunlight, which was exactly what was done. Samanthas bilirubin levels were tested daily for the next few days until the doctor felt that she was in the “safe zone”. For the next few days I am told Samantha was acting normal, well as normal as a newborn might act. She would when she was suppose to, cry and sleep of course. A few more days had gone by and Samantha’s parents noticed that she was still yellow in color, despite the nurse’s assurance that eventually the color would go away especially since her blood tests showed a normal decline in bilirubin levels. On her 9th day of life they also began to notice that she was a bit more sleepy than usual. Generally, newborns sleep about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night but she was sleeping about 15 hours that day. First thing in the morning on her 10th day of life, a call was made to the doctors office explaining all concerns and demanded to be seen at once. An appointment was made for that afternoon and after asking whether Tina should stop breastfeeding as she had heard from others, the nurse stated that breastfeeding should continue as usual; they never like to remove babies from the breast. It came time for her appointment, and as the nurse weighed Samantha at check-in. She made the comment, This is the yellowest baby I have ever seen. When visiting the doctor, all concerns were explained to her, including the comment that the nurse had made just moments earlier. An abnormal poopy diaper was even brought in that had been kept from the morning, thinking it might be a helpful visual. Although the doctor addressed all concerns, there was no sense of alarm in Samanthas appearance, even as this was the main purpose for her visit. Blood tests were ordered STAT, which were taken moments following, and that was the end of that visit. Early the next morning, day 11 they received a call from the doctors office requesting that they come back in to have her blood redrawn because they believed that the results were incorrect and her blood was contaminated. How can this be? The blood was contaminated? Everything just seemed so off. As Tina explained her continued concerns they told her they would be waiting for her when she got in. This was the beginning of a very rough road ahead. Tina walked into the office and all these medical terms were being thrown her way. Kernicterus. We think your child has Kernicterus and she needs a DOUBLE BLOOD TRANSFUSION NOW!! That word KERNICTERUS keep playing and playing in her mind for she had never heard of this before. As they desperately scurried around to find a hospital that would take a dirty baby (a newborn who had already left the hospital) and a neonatal surgeon to perform the necessary double transfusion...She and Samantha sat there...in a sterile room...crying and scared...waiting for Samanthas daddy to get there and process what was actually about to be performed. They were rushed across the street to the hospital for a double blood transfusion. After the procedure was done, specialist after specialist came rolling into her room speaking of how they had NEVER seen a case like this where the bilirubin level was this high. Multiple medical professionals spoke of how a transfusion is usually done when bilirubin levels reach around 24/25 at 10 days of age. Samanthas bilirubin level had reached 46 the day of her doctors visit, the day she was physically seen by a physician, the day her blood work was ordered STAT WITH NO FOLLOW UP. Almost 24 hours had gone by from the time her blood was drawn to the time the transfusion was performed. Medical professionals had stated to her parents that brain injuries need to be addressed quickly to prevent damages from worsening and/or becoming permanent. At the time Samantha was released from the hospital after this traumatic situation all test results lead to a high likeliness that Samantha would not walk, talk, see or hear. This was completely devastating news. Kernicterus is brain damage caused by high levels of bilirubin in newborns. Also known as excessive jaundice. There are so many lifelong difficulties that come along with Kernicterus, cerebral palsy, audio neuropathy, vision and speech impairments, just to name a few. Samantha has no teeth on the top of her mouth because she has grinded them down. In order for her to do the simplest task she tightens her jaw and grinds down on her teeth, something that is beyond her control. Samantha is still as beautiful as the day her parents first brought her home, yet the challenges that she faces are none that were ever expected for her life. Though she sits in a typical grade level classroom, she is physically unable to do the tasks that would be standard for a 7 year old. Samantha and many other kiddos with Kernicterus are fully intelligible individuals yet trapped in bodies that wont allow them to do what they want, to be who they want. The fact is that YES Jaundice CAN do that! So lets not take it so lightly and lets not allow medical professionals to do the same. Testing is not expensive, it is tedious. It may be painful to see your child being poked, you may be anxious to leave the hospital early, but it sure is worth their life. We owe it to our children to be empowered with knowledge that will keep them healthy and alive because Kernicterus is 100% preventable!! After looking over Samanthas medical charts, It became evident that when Samantha was tested at 3, 4 and 5 days of age, her bilirubin levels were above average but bordering High risk.If the doctors would have addressed her increased levels of bilirubin in her first few days of life and continued to monitor her jaundice more closely thereafter as opposed to making the standard assumptions, perhaps Samanthas story may have been just a bit different. Hospital nurses stated that if Samantha had been a hospital patient at the time these tests were done, the results would have been cause for immediate treatment (ie. bili lights/bili blanket.) This is not something to take lightly, for it happens everyday around the world. There needs to be a stop to it. My goal is to raise awareness for this matter and save a child who could possibly be in danger. I cannot do these sessions with out all of your help!! Our campaign to fund additional FREE loved and lost sessions/forever loved sessions to those in need who can not afford to pay the fees ends tonight at 6pm!!! If you have not joined Team Love Song I assure you, you are missing out. We have 200 shirts to still sell by tonight at 6pm!! The link to watch the video is-youtu.be/0hnmJ2LZnYk (if the video doesnt open on the facebook app go to your browser.) click here to buy the t-shirt, tank top, hoodie: https://represent/team-love-song PLEASE WATCH AND BUY A SHIRT NOW IF YOU HAVENT YET ALREADY!! The symptoms depend on the stage of kernicterus are as followed, Please be on the look out for your child. Early stage: Extreme jaundice Absent startle reflex Poor feeding or sucking Extreme sleepiness (lethargy) and low muscle tone (hypotonia) Mid stage: High-pitched cry Arched back with neck hyperextended backwards (high muscle tone/hypertonia) Bulging fontanel (soft spot) Seizures Late stage: High-frequency hearing loss Intellectual disability Muscle rigidity Speech difficulties Seizures Movement disorder THANK YO FOR SHARING YOUR STORY SAMANTHA, I PRAY YOU GROW UP TO DO BIG THINGS! -Lindsey Like Love Song Events & Photography to follow up with this sweet client and many other clients of mine who wish to share their journeys with you. lovesongphotography - Southern California Photographer
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 19:00:39 +0000