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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: gmillerdrake on October 03, 2013, 08:46:59 PM
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I received a phone call late Sunday night, March 3rd of this year... from my mother telling me my sister in law's water had broke and began contractions. Now, in most circumstances this is a moment of happiness because your brother/sister are about to have a baby....it's exciting. But in this case my sister in law was only 23 Weeks pregnant! :omg:
It was around midnight but I raced down to the Hospital. When I got there my brother was visibly shaken....he was just recollecting to me the barrage of 'what ifs' and decisions he and my sister in law would have to make would she deliver. They were inundated with confusion and fear.
I am a man of faith so I prayed with them and did my best to be a good big brother and once they got my sister in law stable...the contractions to slow down...I went home.
On Monday she had a good day with no contractions but they were concerned because her water had broken and a baby can't/shouldn't last long without that fluid, so they were exploring treatment options all the while quickly educating my brother and his wife on the odds of very early premature birth and all the details that come with that info.
On Tuesday I got the call that her contractions began again and they weren't sure they'd be able to stop them. Shortly after arriving at the hospital my nephew, Maximus Miller, was born into this world at 23 weeks, 2 Days old. He was 11" and weighed 1lb 5 oz.
St. Louis boasts one of the Worlds best Children's Hospital. Consistently in the top 10, #6 this year and has been in the top 3. Maximus was born at a hospital connected to Children's so he was immediately whisked into their NICU unit.
You can imagine the odds that he faced. The youngest infant to survive is 22 Weeks, 8 days....so he was borderline at best.
I'm sure most of you are aware that the last thing to develop in a kid while in utero are the lungs....so the immediate concern was the development of his lungs. I happen to work for the HealthCare System who Children's belongs to, BJC Healthcare and Children's hospital is where 95% of the projects I oversee are located. So I was able to visit Max quite a bit.
Over the days and weeks he made great strides and suffered setbacks....coded a few times....but, nothing that happened to him caught his Drs off guard. He was pretty much a 'by the book' premie where all his issues were 'typical' and treated successfully. He had a PDA Ligation performed on his heart to repair a pin sized hole in his heart....performed bedside I might add, that's amazing in itself...and he had laser eye surgery at 15 Weeks to repair some vessels in the back of his eyes.
After 23 Weeks, 1 Day....my nephew.....Maximus Miller......who the Nursing staff and Drs nicknamed "Mighty" Max......he was released to my brother and sister in law to go home. He still has some oxygen support...which they think he'll need for at least a year to help his lungs keep strengthening and his vision is a point of concern but has checked out to this point.
Now I am a man of faith and prayed heavily and still do for this little guy. But that being said, the level of professionalism, intellect and pride the men and women who cared for him displayed is awe inspiring.
When something like this happens close to you...you tend to reflect and realize just how precious life is. And if you have kids....it makes you realize how lucky you are to have healthy kiddos.
Here are some pics of "Mighty" Maximus Miller
2 Days Old:
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/AD4BE1B7-4329-4DFD-AC36-DBDEF68AA3ED-6502-0000080166622BBD_zps709ce84c.jpg)
16 Days Old, my Brother and Sister in Law got to hold him for the first time
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/B3BADE1B-AAB6-4601-A58D-4918F9DADADC-6502-000008018639ED1E_zpsfdefad63.jpg)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/560F0C95-4074-43E3-911B-B2408B1A10AA-6502-000008017EC4DF4D_zps46392a5b.jpg)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/13E620CE-E729-4A85-B20C-A69CEFA174A7-6502-00000801C8800535_zps73508dcd.jpg)
Max 'wearing' my brothers Wedding ring as a bracelet (around 17 Weeks)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/70E24162-46EE-43FC-8F07-05C1F4AB59F9-6502-000008018CD08BC4_zps869e0f65.jpg)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/FD0A204F-AA90-4FD0-81CE-814651F0EA3E-6502-0000080198C6BD7F_zps821cd00c.jpg)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/6CFBC9FC-9810-4051-B140-BCB66F592C96-6502-00000801A1446348_zps14d6957a.jpg)
Footprints. Green is 1 Week, (notice the quarter) Red is 4 Months
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/557BE59C-DD38-45E5-B8E0-9FD9F34AF3D4-6502-00000801A84E89C2_zps1014ae2f.jpg)
Mighty Max!
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/64ABEC95-A7FE-47CD-ADAE-53CE3905709D-6502-00000801B981D151_zps026c2ef7.jpg)
My sis in law and Max
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/85C6A9DD-0D7F-4E09-9EEE-C4D2A0C052CF-6502-00000801C073452D_zpsb8bf217b.jpg)
Around 7 Weeks Old
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/F35AE77F-B8BD-4EAE-A2B4-B5C6DB4B76B7-6502-00000801CF46D738_zps15a74059.jpg)
2 Weeks / 22 Weeks
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/D352A4E8-82F7-4F59-B149-6E6B035F0EFC-6502-00000801D555C01E_zps1a50181a.jpg)
And here is Mighty Max in a pic taken today by my sister in law
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/7602244B-CEF1-4CDE-A6D2-9955446C610C-6502-00000801EC84F678_zps2c8d6c1c.jpg)
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That is absolutely amazing.
Thank you so much for sharing!
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Makes me well up. Thanks for sharing with us.
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Makes me well up. Thanks for sharing with us.
Yup. Very happy for your brother and SIL
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Makes me well up. Thanks for sharing with us.
Yeah I got pretty teary-eyed... That's incredible.
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Awesome man, just awesome.
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Great story, Gary!! :)
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What an awesome testament to human perseverance and stubbornness! :lol
Congratulations to your brother and sis-in-law and to all the medical professionals who helped bring about this wonderful day. I'm sure your brother would say you were a big assistant to him as well, so congrats to you too Gary!
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Wow, man, words fail me so I will express my happiness with several dancing bananas with my head on top!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/pics/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/pics/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/pics/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/pics/smilies/knh.gif)
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Wow, man, words fail me so I will express my happiness with several dancing bananas with my head on top!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/Fun/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/Fun/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/Fun/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/Fun/smilies/knh.gif) (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/Fun/smilies/knh.gif)
:lol That's a funny yet disturbing image Barry.
Yeah guys.....my Bro and SIL have handled this in a great manner. Just as one of them was down the other had picked them up and vice versa. One huge blessing for them is my SIL's insurance is great and essentially they have only been responsible for their deductible thus far.....I won't share the dollar amount that Max's hospital stay cost out of respect to them.....but it's not hard to imagine knowing the type of care he needed.
I truly believe with all my heart that when its all said and done Maximus will have contributed something great to mankind, in one form or another.
A 'deal' I made with him early on.....and this is silly but it's something that we share.....was being that I basically got to drop in on him daily and talk to him and stuff, I told him that as badly as I wanted to grab his little hand and hold him when I could....that I was going to save our first embrace for when he was out of the hospital. I can't explain that moment to you guys when I held him at my brothers house for the first time....but just know that next to the birth of my own children, it's one of the most special moments of my life.
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Great story, thank you for sharing. I remember my wife going in to hospital around 30-32 weeks thinking she was going to delivery our baby early, but it proved unnecessary. Definitely a nervous couple days for us while she was in hospital under observation.
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The story and pictures -- simply wonderful. I am so happy for you and your family! Max is a handsome young man and I'm sure he'll progress successfully more and more. It's great to have family. :heart
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Great story, thank you for sharing. I remember my wife going in to hospital around 30-32 weeks thinking she was going to delivery our baby early, but it proved unnecessary. Definitely a nervous couple days for us while she was in hospital under observation.
In this day and age it's very easy to take for granted that everything will be fine.....it only happens to 'someone else'. Like I said earlier, instances like this really help you appreciate things with much more sincerity.
Glad to hear your situation never escalated.
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I was so afraid that this tale would have an unhappy ending. As I read on, I found myself bracing for it. Then it didn't happen, Max is okay (all things considered), and I nearly cried with relief. I'm tired and it's been a long day. Yeah, that's my excuse.
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Got to spend some quality time with 'Mighty' Maximus today. He's been making great strides as far as his lungs developing and they think he will be off all his in home air support in less than 2 months. He's down to a quarter of a liter now......
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/5867E429-55C0-43AD-851D-A224F15EC401-15347-0000149A9F16DA7A_zps7efc7bd5.jpg)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/1B9DD5CE-111C-49A8-8B8A-E78E4D92FFE9-15347-0000149ABD6547D2_zpsb4ad4804.jpg)
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omg
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omg
Well said.
:heart
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Cool pics, man. :coolio :coolio :coolio
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Thanks for sharing!
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Amazing story. It's stuff like this that makes you appreciate life and mankind a lot more :)
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/cautionary drunk warning
Seriously man, every fucking time I read this thread I end up tearing up...and I've re-read it a lot. This is a great story of perseverance though. I don't believe in any higher power, and I don't mean to infringe upon another's belief, but I feel like anyone can relate to a story like this. It's wonderful and I'm really happy to know that this little tyke pulled through. I truly, wholeheartedly hope he continues to flourish and to grow up and become a mountain of a man in both body and spirit. Mighty Max is such a fuckin baller. Both.
*goes to play with toys*
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Haven't posted a pic of 'Mighty' Maximus in a while....this was him and I yesterday out at my Grandfathers house. He's such a cool kid...he will laugh and play for as long as you can keep up with him. And I'm diggin' the Mohawk he's sporting these days.
Drs have told my brother and sister in law that really the only side effects he's looking at from the premature birth will be his eyesight. He's going to have to have glasses at a young age but hey....he's here blessing our lives everyday so some frames won't be a big deal
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/6F459AB5-70AD-43E2-AAD7-4654B17FF58B.jpg) (https://s791.photobucket.com/user/gmillerdrake/media/6F459AB5-70AD-43E2-AAD7-4654B17FF58B.jpg.html)
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:tup :tup Awesome to hear this Gary.
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No kidding, that's hardly even a downfall these days with the technology we have, not to mention what they will have by the time he's in his 20's. Frakking awesome, he's a cute lil badass.
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Man, what a fantastic story.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55966936/pics/applause.gif)
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Not a problem Uncle Gary. Just get him some cool Ray Ban's Junior frames for his birthday! He'll look super cool and have proper vision too.
(https://www.eyeglasses4all.com/Photos/Product/3529%20Top%20Black%20On%20Transpare%20Demo%20Lens.jpg)
Still the greatest story on this site, IMHO.
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Still great stuff, man. :coolio
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:D
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Me and the little man Maximus chillin' at a Christmas party wating to sit with Santa. He's doing awesome and is a pretty funny little dude now.....he's walking and getting in to everything and it's great watching him wrestle his cousins and just be a kid. My brother and sis in law did get him glasses but he rips them off almost as soon as they are on so they've given up trying to keep them on his head :lol You'd never know the little guy was a premi though by the way he's all over the place now.
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/52575E78-0E88-4E81-A8DE-AF11DA698D40_1.jpg) (https://s791.photobucket.com/user/gmillerdrake/media/52575E78-0E88-4E81-A8DE-AF11DA698D40_1.jpg.html)
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Every time you update this thread, it makes my day.
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Every time you update this thread, it makes my day.
That. :metal
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Just read this thread, I'm so happy for Maximus and all of your family, what an awesome story, and one that I can relate to. Last year my sister-in-law went into labor 3 months early with twins. She had a history of miscarraiges and complications (this pregnancy was their third attempt at in vitro). The twins were born right away, and if my memory serves me correctly they were a shade over 2 pounds each.
Both twins had their share of complications in the early going, but Kallie rallied first and only had to stay in the NICU for a little over a month, which was a tremendous accomplishment. Mason, however, had a much harder time. He had 3 surgery's, was pretty much given a timeline for his death (within days, so my brother and his wife had him baptized), and fought off a virus of his immune system which threatened to kill him again, though off the top of my head I can't remember specifics.
When the twins were first born I bought them each an infant hockey jersey. For Kallie I bought a Montreal Canadiens jersey because my brother is a diehard Canadiens fan, and put the day of their birith on the back and her name. But since I am a Penguins fan, and to annoy my brother, I bought Mason a Penguins jersey, but instead of putting the date of birth on the back for some reason I put 87 (for Sidney Crosby for non hockey fans). And miraculously, Mason was allowed to go home for the first timeexactly 87 days after his birth. The coincidence baffles me to this day.
Now Mason and Kallie area year and a half old. Kallie is literally the cutest kid alive, is as smart as any child I have ever been around, and shows no signs of developmental issues, and according to her doctor is actually ahead comapred to kids her age her were not born premature. Mason too is growing up nicely. He is a little behind Kallie right now, but to me he seems like a normal kid. He is continually being tested to ensure he is healthy, and recently was checked for warning signs of cerebral palsy, but was given nothing but good news. He is adorable beyond belief, and when you look at him or watch him play you would never guess he has already had many brushes with death. But in the back of all of our minds I am sure we are well aware that future developmental complications may arise, not that I am worried for him, the little bugger is tougher than all of us, it is more likely that him and Maximus will be playing each other for a Stanley Cup, St. Louis vs Pittsburgh, in about 25 years time.
A 'deal' I made with him early on.....and this is silly but it's something that we share.....was being that I basically got to drop in on him daily and talk to him and stuff, I told him that as badly as I wanted to grab his little hand and hold him when I could....that I was going to save our first embrace for when he was out of the hospital. I can't explain that moment to you guys when I held him at my brothers house for the first time....but just know that next to the birth of my own children, it's one of the most special moments of my life.
I did the same thing for both Kallie and Mason. I will always cherish the memories of finally being able to hold them, I'm sure you feel the same way.
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Every time you update this thread, it makes my day.
That. :metal
I really only update this thread because a few of you guys have said this....so I just want to keep you all in the loop on the little guy and hopefully he can make some of you smile when you need it most :biggrin:
Jarlaxle......that is a touching story as well and I'm sure we've shared some of the same emotions. I love the hockey jersy story and no, there are no coincedences that cool!!! Children are such a powerful bundle of Joy and Hapiness!!!
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:coolio :hat
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I can't believe I missed this thread. What a wonderful journey. Thank you for sharing. May God continue to watch over Max as he continues on his path.
Same thing goes for Mason and Kallie.
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I can't believe I missed this thread.
Yeah, me neither.
That's quite a story. Glad it has turned out OK!
I also would like to say that NICU nurses are incredible. My son spent a week at the NICU unit at The Floating Hospital at NE Medical in Boston. Amazing experience.
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So awesome! :tup
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Maximux at my son's 6th B-Day party yesterday. He's speaking really well and moving around like a little boy should. He's a tad on the tiny size still but all in all he's a remarkable little dude....
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/CA8FE597-1372-4A12-B540-79DC668AF5FA_2.jpg) (https://s791.photobucket.com/user/gmillerdrake/media/CA8FE597-1372-4A12-B540-79DC668AF5FA_2.jpg.html)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/89DCC0C8-F386-4456-A26B-8D246C38FBCA.jpg) (https://s791.photobucket.com/user/gmillerdrake/media/89DCC0C8-F386-4456-A26B-8D246C38FBCA.jpg.html)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/396F3673-D799-4399-83B6-252D5D0BA57C.jpg) (https://s791.photobucket.com/user/gmillerdrake/media/396F3673-D799-4399-83B6-252D5D0BA57C.jpg.html)
(https://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/gmillerdrake/1A2A8EC7-196D-43C9-8C8A-ABD7AFCF3C19.jpg) (https://s791.photobucket.com/user/gmillerdrake/media/1A2A8EC7-196D-43C9-8C8A-ABD7AFCF3C19.jpg.html)
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That's pretty mighty!
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:tup :tup :metal :heart
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Very nice!! :tup :tup
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Awesome!!!
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Thank you for sharing this, it's a very heartwarming story. Max is an adorable little guy!
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Been some time since I've posted a pic of Max. Here we are yesterday at Christmas. He's such a cool boy....Supremely smart....kid loves anything to do with our solar system and the human body. He'll sit and tell you everything he knows about either for as long as you'll listen.
(https://i.imgur.com/BsmDzQz.jpg?1)
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:metal :metal :metal
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Cool pic, Gary. :tup :tup