Our second daughter Allison Morgan Reid was born March 1st, 2002.? She was born at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina on her daddy's birthday, happy, healthy, and BEAUTIFUL!!! We brought her home, and 19 days later, something went terribly wrong. Allison began to breathe heavily, and didn't wake up to eat. Her skin became very "mottled" and she was unresponsive. Well, she had a little angel looking over her, (and you know who you are.....) and because of certain events that occurred, I decided to take her to the doctor.
After arriving at the pediatricians office, she was poked and prodded, yet she didn't make a sound, except for the heavy breathing/grunting noise she had been making. She was rushed via ambulance to the pediatric ICU, where she was poked and prodded some more. They did a spinal tap and diagnosed spinal meningitis. (This COULDN'T be happening to OUR little girl!!!) The first night in the hospital, she crashed. She quit breathing on her own and was placed on a ventilator, she was given a catheter, and an IV in each arm and leg. She was given antibiotics and anti-seizure drugs and a host of other things to help keep her alive including 2 blood transfusions!
The second day she was in the hospital, the doctor told us to be prepared for the worst. She wasn't responding to any type of stimuli....touch, light, even pinching. That ripped our hearts out.? With the love and prayers of everyone around her, Allison started to fight back.? She improved a little bit each and every day, and after nearly 5 weeks in the PICU, she is home with us.
She is in for a long road ahead. She had at least 6 strokes while sick, and there is quite a bit of brain damage. We are prepared for many years of physical therapy, developmental delays and hearing loss. But that is all fine....she is alive and home to hold, kiss and love on.
We now believe in miracles, and the power of prayer. We believe that this horror has to have a grander purpose....with our work for Allison Hugs, we are saving babies and bringing comfort to parents who are realizing the same horrors that we faced. We felt that even though we couldn't be there in person, there had to be a way to comfort other parents who may not have that same support system that we had.
We realized that we have a strength inside that never would have been imagined!! We also realized (probably above anything else this experience has taught us) that FAMILY COMES FIRST AND FOREMOST!!!!
We tell our story to everyone we can, as painful as it is because we want to make all expectant mothers aware that doctors do make mistakes, and you have to take your health and your baby's health into your own hands. PLEASE see the GBS Page, and see what you need to do to protect your baby. I didn't get the appropriate antibiotics which is recommended by the CDC. Please make sure that you do!