Team Callie May

After 2 ½ years trying to get pregnant and suffering two miscarriages, we were elated to make it to 13 weeks and the “safe” part of our pregnancy. I felt great and loved every second of being pregnant. At 20 weeks, we found out we were having a healthy, little girl and began announcing to the world that we would be having a baby on May 31st, 2009. Three weeks later, I woke up for work and noticed that I was spotting. A few hours later at St. Joe’s, horror struck, when my doctor told me that I was already 2 ½ cm dilated and my amniotic sac was bulging. For the next 9 days, I stayed on complete bed rest, upside down, on a constant cycle of Magnesium Sulfate doing everything humanly possible to keep my baby put. The doctors and nurses were amazing and helped me get through those agonizing days…having completely lost control of my pregnancy and terrified of what would happen when she made her entrance.

On February 13, 2009, despite everyone’s best efforts, Callie entered the world. That afternoon, I started bleeding and they realized that preterm delivery was eminent. They rushed me into the operating room and my doctor broke my water and had me begin pushing. After two pushes, Callie’s heart rate dropped and they transitioned to an immediate cesarean section. Callie was born limp and didn’t cry. We found out later that she weighed only 1lb 5 ounces and was only 11 ¾ inches long. After putting a breathing tube, they held her up to us for an instant before rushing her to the NICU.

The nurse told us that they would work on her overnight and they would bring us to see her in the morning. An hour later, they came and got us, saying that they wanted to give us a chance to see her alive and didn’t think that she would make it until morning. We were devastated, but went to her side and told her how much we loved her and how proud of her we were and asked her to fight. Fight she did. Callie spent the next 3 months in 3 different NICU’s and had four surgeries before coming home. We were told her chances of ever walking or living a normal life was slim because of the severity of her brain bleed. Our little fighter showed the world statistics didn’t matter.

Callie is now a healthy 3 year old and is keeping up with the other kids her age, continuing to exceed everyone’s expectations.
After Callie came home from the NICU, Lee and I decided we needed to find a way to give back and started actively supporting the March of Dimes. Callie received such amazing medical care during her time in the NICU, a lot of which was available through research supported by the March of Dimes. But a lot of research still needs to be done. I had great prenatal care and still had a premature baby. We want to do our part to make sure that this research continues so that all babies can be born healthy and not have to suffer and fight the way our Callie had to.
March of Dimes means hope. It means hope that one day all babies can be born healthy. Hope that these innocent babies will not have to struggle as hard to meet milestones. Hope that Mother’s won’t have to watch their babies struggle for life. It is hope for the future.