Miracle of Baby Aaliyah (12 OUNCES at Birth!)

Sky News ^ | 6-20-03

[Tunehead54]

Nice story. One weird item - if she's with her first husband then he was 15 and she 22, when they first tried to get preggers!

---

[Ronaldus Magnus]

And don't forget all those fiscal libertarians who would begrudge little Aaliyah's treatment saying that her likelihood of survival didn't justify her medical costs. If those hideously selfish wack-jobs had their way, medical science would never progress since innovative treatments would only be attempted on those rich enough to "waste" the money on them. Eight weeks of prematurely would still be a death sentence. Success stories like Aaliyah's are only made possible through the heroic and desperate measures of parents and medical professionals funded by contractually obligated health care providers. Even as an affluent and deeply ideological conservative, that is a price I happily to pay.

[therut]

The remarkable thing was not the 28 week gestation but that it survived with severe IUGR(intra-uterine growth retardation). Now as a physician I do not understand why someone offered her a termination. That would never cross my mind. The thing was to hope the pregancy got to 22-24 weeks and then the decision is to monitor closely and decide when the risk of leaving the baby in the uterus becomes greater than the benifit of delivery at a greater gestation age. No need to abort.

[oceanperch]

Neurological damage aka Cerebral Palsy is not something that can be predicted untill about 1yr. of age and I believe in preemies that would be 1yr after the normal due date.

However having a son that survived birth trauma and is severe qad Cerbral Palsy with a very high IQ (meaning higher than the average person) he would not choose the altenative to life.

It has been a fight for him to thrive for 24yrs with all the bells and whistles of medical technolligy and my fulltime care. We both appreciate the gift of life.

Matter of fact I am getting ready to get him up in his wheelchair so he can go to the local DJ dance where he can spin his wheels as I prance him around the dance floor. If he isn't spewing copious secretions out of his trach we may have a little dinner. He also enjoys playing a little roullette. Lastly getting to socialize with everyone is the best part.

I grew tired of fighting for his rights to an education which he maintained a B+ throughout high school and he fought to get through school not having the energy as he is basically stuck at the birth in so far as development in a 6ft tall body at a 175lbs.

We both worked hard against society for his first 21 yrs. Now he enjoys a life of just getting out 3-4times a week to socialize. Wheather it be the Gem and Mineral show, comedy show at the local Casino or visiting the local nursing home.

Unfortunetly I am getting older so we are slowing down. Luckily we did a lot of traveling when he was smaller/younger.

Regardless of any disability the bottom line is we both savor bieng alive everyday. Despite the hassles and frustrations when dealing with esp. the business part of society.

[oceanperch]

Please remeber your post next time you vote for when it comes to funding the severly disabled with tax money. : )

Not all disabled have family support or the ability to work.

Some at FR have been very cruel and laughed at folks who have no other option than to have govt. paid assistance to dress, feed, and transfer them up to there wheelchair.
(depending on govt. assistance is no picnic either)
Ironically those "some" have been banned for multiple reasons in the long run.

[oceanperch]

With our severly disabled kids becoming adults we need more physicians willing to be primary care in this area.

After peds. cut us off at 21 it took two years to find the perfect match and luckily being rural he had just moved here.

A wonderfull young Catholic Internal Med. Dr.. Being like minded/faith a lot of hassles are avoided in the care for my son. He respects my sons goal of living to 100 yrs. When my son told him this at his tri-yearly check up I looked at the Dr. and said sarcastically "Damn that means I have to live to 119"

In the last two years other than the normal care that I can do all at home now from nebulizer treatments to changing out his feeding button and trach kits the only major medical treatment he has needed was an in grown thumbnail from him banging and breaking off the tip of the nail.

Now that he is through the teen yrs. and 24yrs of trial and error he has been smooth sailing. : )

[Coleus]

thanks...

[Coleus]

`

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

bump

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[workerbee]

Re #22. We lost a daughter prematurely at 24 wks gestation. She lived only a few minutes and died in my arms. We didn't subject her to what would have been prolonged, painful and (in our opinion) ultimately futile measures to try and save her. Does this classify us as "hideously selfish whackjobs"? I heard a lot of crass statements after her death, but that's a new one.

This is an amazing, even inspirational story. But please keep this in mind: One, that Aaliyah is still alive is called a "miracle" for a reason. And two, what constitutes heroic measures for some, is for others nothing more than overzealous doctors experimenting at playing God, and frightened parents who are coerced into letting them.

[Salvation]

What a miracle! Prayers that the baby survives and has no major problems.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Does this classify us as "hideously selfish whackjobs"? I heard a lot of crass statements after her death, but that's a new one.

I am deeply sorrowful for the loss of your child. You have experienced my worst nightmare and I keep you and those like you in my prayers.

I made no such reference to you or anyone in your circumstance. My hostility is directed toward those who would deny you the means of providing medical care to your child based on her age or likelihood of survival. It was and should be your decision as parents to determine the level of care your child should receive, and no one else's. I also support those parents who do seek out all available potentially life saving measures for their children. It was through their successes and failures that the treatments that saved little Aaliyah were developed.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Please remeber your post next time you vote for when it comes to funding the severly disabled with tax money. : ) Not all disabled have family support or the ability to work.

I completely agree and support means based safety net programs like Medicaid (but not universally socialized payout plans like Medicare). A medical safety net for those who need it has always been a conservative ideal and is a part of most state Republican party platforms. Pursuing the survival of the societally productive at the expense of the non-productive (old/weak/sick/etc.) is a socialist (Marxist) concept.

[Guenevere]

Thanks kay :)))

[SuziQ]

God Bless you! Your son is SO fortunate to have a Mom who cares for him so deeply and who takes him out to have lots of FUN!!!

[arasina]

She is small enough for her mother Lorraine to hold her in the palm of her hand.

The quote above brought to mind another quote:

See! I will not forget you... I have carved you on the palm of my hand. ~ Isaiah 49:15 ~

My mother already had 7 children when she knew that she was again pregnant at 43 years of age. She gave birth a month early after falling down the basement stairs. After the birth, (a girl, 5+ lbs.) the doctor said, "I believe there's ANOTHER ONE in there." Sure enough, there was a twin sister who was born about 5 minutes later. She weighed only 1 lb. 14 oz. I remember my father demonstrating how tiny she was by showing us his thumbs and saying, "Her arms are the same length as my thumbs."

My sisters, those twins, are now 46 years old. May God bless little Aaliyah and her mother!

[LPStar]

That's a miracle (your twin sisters)! If that were to happen today, the doctors would diagnose one of the twins as being a threat to the other one, due to the vastly differing sizes, and who knows what would happen next. I'm glad it worked out well for them.

[oceanperch]

Back atcha' proud mama of four.
Doing homework was tough homeschooling I am sure doesn't leave much time for all the other chores we do. Let alone by yourself time. : )