The Fisher Family

A letter from the Fisher family…

I was 31 weeks pregnant and had a healthy pregnancy until this point. I had three miscarriages before we had Waylon, so he is our rainbow baby. At 31 weeks (the night before my baby shower!), I felt very ill. I was out to dinner and couldn’t eat, and just felt terribly nauseous. I was sick to my stomach, had awful pain in my right side, and started to not be able to breathe. This was the worst pain of my life.

At this point, we rushed to the Emergency Room in State College. When I got to the labor and delivery unit of Mount Nittany Medical Center, my blood pressure was 230/133. I was diagnosed with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count (HELLP). The only way to “cure” HELLP syndrome is for the mother to deliver the baby. My doctor wanted me to be flown to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center to deliver, but they could not get the helicopter out that night due to foggy weather conditions. They had to work to stabilize me for a few hours.

During this time, a team of doctors from the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were driving up to Mount Nittany Medical Center, getting ready to pick up my son, Waylon, as soon as he was born. I was prepped for an emergency C-section.

Waylon was born and immediately whisked away to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, while I spent six more days in the hospital. My husband was able to go to Hershey to see Waylon while I recovered.

On Friday, June 7, 2019, I got to see my son for the first time since he was born.

To be nearby the hospital, I spent one month at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Hershey. I was able to stay at RMH during the week to go see my son every day. Then, on the weekend I would go home to prepare things for the day Waylon could come home. This also allowed my husband to come to see Waylon on the weekends since he still had to work.

It was such a blessing to have a home-away-from-home to relax at when I could barely function most days myself. I was still so sick while I went to see my son every day, due to blood pressure meds, surgery, and just general recovery since my delivery was extremely rare and traumatic. It was so nice to have a comfortable bed, warm home-cooked meals, therapy dogs, and a place of respite.

Waylon just turned one and is doing very well! He has no major complications, other than being slightly smaller for his age. We are so blessed that he is happy, healthy, and well!

Thank you to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA for allowing our family to be together during a very difficult time.

Sincerely,

The Fishers – Lauren, Paul & Waylon

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