Our beautiful baby girl, Everly, was born on August 11, 2023. During routine newborn screenings, we discovered that Everly had Meconium Aspiration and Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), as her APGAR Score was a 4. Everly did not exhibit the typical signs of tone, as her limbs fell to her sides without any response or resistance, indicating a neurological injury. The medical staff decided to initiate hypothermia therapy, also known as "cooling," within the first hour of her life. This therapy continued for 72 hours, during which they lowered her core body temperature to 90 - 93 degrees. Over the next 4 - 6 hours, they slowly brought her back to a normal body temperature. Throughout both the cooling and warming processes, she had an EEG device connected to her head to monitor for any signs of seizures. Thankfully, no seizures were detected during the examination.
Several days later, Everly underwent an MRI, which revealed that she had suffered an arterial ischemic stroke and a perinatal ischemic multifocal posterior circulation stroke in utero. These strokes resulted in damage to the left and posterior portions of her brain, placing her at risk for developing a form of Cerebral Palsy and/or other neurological challenges, although many of these may not become apparent until later in her life.
We are deeply grateful for the swift action taken by our medical team in Everly's care, from our care team who supported us during pregnancy and labor to the NICU team that continues to care for her. Everly has shown incredible resilience and determination in her short month of life. She overcame her breathing difficulties caused by Meconium Aspiration within a week at the NICU. Currently, she is working with a team of doctors and therapists (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy) on a treatment plan aimed at rewiring the damaged portions of her brain. We have already observed improvements in her motor skills, such as the ability to bend and grasp with her right hand, which was initially challenging.
We've learned about the remarkable plasticity of a newborn's brain and its ability to rewire damaged connections. We've started interventions during our NICU stay and plan to continue working with a team of medical specialists, both inpatient and outpatient, as well as therapists, to optimize Everly's neurological development outcome upon discharge.
Currently, one of Everly's major challenges is feeding, which requires patience and persistence. She has made progress in oral feeding but struggles to maintain the stamina to complete her feedings. We will collaborate with her and the NICU team over the next few weeks to develop a plan that best suits Everly's feeding journey.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have offered countless prayers, financial support, and a listening ear. We've witnessed answered prayers and believe that God will continue to guide Everly's journey. We kindly ask for your ongoing prayers as we embark on this journey in the years to come. Thank you once again for your support; it has been a tremendous source of light during challenging times. We are confident that God will use Everly and her journey in a meaningful way.
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