Alyssa

Alyssa was born on May 18, 1999. She was 1 pound, 15 ounces, 13 1/2 inches long. She was 3 months premature and delivered via emergency c-section. She was very strong and despite being born so early her lungs were developing well. She was still put on a ventilator but it was set on the lowest setting. She did well for her first 8 days of life. On the 8th day her doctor informed us that she had a collapsed lung. We were told that it wasn't serious but her ventilator would be turned up. Her problems became more serious and she developed an infection in her stomach as well as decrease blood oxygen. Even after a blood transfusion her oxygen levels did not rise. She was also unable to digest her food or to eliminate any wastes. On May 28, after having an ultrasound performed on her brain the doctor discovered that Alyssa had a Grade IV Intraventricular Hemorrhage in her brain. This condition is very serious for newborns and is said to happen commonly in premature babies. Most babies that develop Grades I-III can recover without serious brain damage. However in Alyssa's case her prognosis was not optimistic. The doctor did not expect Alyssa to make it through the rest of the night. We were given the choice to disconnect her from her ventilator or to let her suffer. On May 28, 1999 we decided to let Alyssa go. I held her in my arms as she passed away at 2:20 AM.

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