27 Minutes on Earth, Forever in My Heart

For so long I have desired to be an Aunt.  I know I can be a pretty awesome one, I’ve had some pretty amazing teachers.  My brother and his first wife had 3 miscarriages.  We knew when she was 17 she was told she would never carry a baby successfully because of medical problems.  Then my brother got remarried and they conceived their first child together.  She has a son with her ex husband but we don’t like the term “step” in our family.

From the start they were told this pregnancy wasn’t going to last. There was no amniotic fluid, so the baby would not develop lungs, and they found out the 1 kidney was covered in cysts.  So my SIL having had a successful pregnancy already put all the blame on my brother, but later found out it was in fact her side of the family that these issues run on.  Anywho, at 24 weeks the baby moved for the first time.  Amniotic fluid just appeared and lungs began to develop.

At 25 weeks they had a game plan with the doctors. She (yes we finally were told she was in fact a girl!) would start receiving steroid shots to help the lung development catch up.  The baby would be born at the local Childrens Hospital, and go straight into dialysis until my SIL was cleared to donate a kidney. Then at 27 weeks they had an MRI done, the doctor said she was too small.  They had given her no hope to even make it full term.  If she did she would be too small to receive any dialysis and be born into kidney failure.

Today 34 weeks & 2 days she went into early labor.  My niece was born and lived for only 27 minutes.  My heart is so broken for my brother and his wife.  For him to finally hold his baby and then to have to let her go, just tears my heart to pieces.  She may have lived only 27 minutes on this earth, but she will live in our hearts forever.

RIP Immy – Auntie loves you!