Our journey was a roller coaster ride right from the start. After our first appointment, I was sent to the hospital to make sure “there really was a baby in there.” Then the bleeding started. Lots of it. The doctor confirmed I had a subchorionic hemorrhage directly above my baby. If it got too big, it could cause the placenta to tear away and I would miscarry. I was put on bed rest for a couple days to see if it improved. I had another ultrasound to verify the baby still had a heartbeat. (Surprise! There were two!!) Morning sickness hit with a vengeance. I lost too much weight, went in and out of the hospital for fluids, and had weekly ultrasounds to monitor the babies’ health. The bleeding got so bad, and my sickness was literally debilitating, so I was put on long-term bed rest for the duration of my pregnancy. I was only 6 weeks pregnant, and already the fear of losing my little ones was heavy on my heart. Would they even get to wear those cute little onesies we have hanging in the closet? The doctor had warned us about the possibility of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (or TTTS), which only happens in less than 15% of identical twin pregnancies. I had been in extreme pain (on top of the sickness and hemorrhaging) and was growing at such a rapid pace all I could do was lay down and cry. I was measuring 36 weeks at just 22 weeks! After what seemed like the 1,000th ultrasound, I was told that my babies did indeed have TTTS. This is when one baby receives all the nutrients from the placenta, and the other baby receives very little to none. If not corrected, TTTS could cause death for both babies. Of course, I was in so much pain my doctor thought I was in labor. He sent us to the hospital and told me if I was in labor there was nothing they could do. It was just supposed to be a routine doctor visit! When he confirmed I was NOT in labor, just having contractions, he did a fluid draw. This is where they take out excess fluid from one baby’s amniotic sac in hopes of staving off the TTTS. In all, he took out 3L of fluid. (This happened three times). We ended up going to Seattle after spending Christmas Eve in the hospital for yet another fluid draw after being told we had 0% chance of our babies surviving without an en-utero surgery. We went up early and were told if we had waited just the two days until our appointment we would have lost both our girls, that’s how incredibly sick they were. Their hearts were starting to fail. After calling in the surgeon and her team on Jan. 2nd, we had the Laser Photocoagulation Surgery. We spent a week in the hospital in Seattle with a few unknown complications. Upon being released and returning home, I was again admitted for leaking fluid. This time, I stayed in the hospital for an entire month. Emma and Lily were born on Jan. 26, 2012, (2lb 3oz and 1lb 13oz) at 27wks 5 days gestation. They were in the NICU for 67 days. Without the love and care of our doctors and nurses, our little girls would not be with us today. While all medical knowledge said they wouldn’t make it through the pregnancy, they are, by EVERY definition of the word, MIRACLES. 

The arrival of baby Mateo was a highly anticipated event. Mom said he was perfect: 10 fingers, 10 toes and a strong set of lungs. A few hours later, though, Mateo was fussy, vomiting and wouldn’t eat. By the next day, he hadn’t passed a bowel movement and his belly was swollen. His parents, Kayla and Carlos Guerrero, started getting worried. After ruling out typical newborn issues, Mateo was transferred to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend by neonatal ambulance. X-rays showed he had a blockage in his bowel that needed surgery to be fixed. At just 1 day old, Mateo had an ileostomy--a procedure to bypass part of the intestines, allowing waste to be eliminated through an external bag. A complication required the surgery to be done a second time--this time pediatric surgeon Dr. Wadie diagnosed Mateo with Total Colonic Hirschsprung’s Disease (HD). HD is rare, occurring in only 1 in 5,000 births. It’s a congenital condition thought to be caused by missing nerve cells in the colon. If not treated immediately, it can be fatal because it inhibits normal bowel movements and absorption of nutrients from food. Mateo’s condition was severe -- he needed more surgery to insert a gastrostomy tube to allow for concentrated nutrients to be delivered directly into his digestive system. While undergoing surgeries and related procedures, Mateo spent 71 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Kayla and Carlos were finally able to take him home on New Year’s Eve--Dec. 31, 2008. They are incredibly grateful for the caring hospital staff and the support of Children’s Miracle Network throughout Mateo’s stay at Sacred Heart. Mateo is now an active and growing 6 year-old boy, and as of Jan. 24, 2012, has had his feeding tube removed, now only dependent on an ileostomy bag. While he’ll need more surgeries in the future, with the help of the Sacred Heart medical team and assistance of Children’s Miracle Network, the Guerreros are confident Mateo will enjoy a full and productive life!

Noelle and Ben were so excited to find out they were having a baby! On June 9th, at Noelle’s 16 week check-up everything changed, and the uphill battle for baby Phoenix began. Noelle’s lab work came back that her AFP (Alpha Feto-Protein) was high, which at that point all she knew was that it was bad, and any number of things were going wrong not only for her unborn baby, but for herself too. The doctors did an immediate ultrasound and more lab work, but that all came back normal. At that point it was decided that her original labs possibly had some false positives. At 19 weeks, Noelle went in for another ultrasound and her OB/GYN determined that Phoenix was growth restricted and was the size of a 17 week baby. Noelle was told that she needed an Emergency Amniocentesis to rule out possible viruses like CMV and possible chromosome abnormalities. Again, all the tests came back normal. However, Noelle consistently had low fluid in the womb, and Phoenix was not growing as he should. At this point Noelle’s doctors were preparing her and Ben for the worst; Phoenix was most likely going to die in the womb. Noelle and Ben never gave up hope, despite the overwhelming fear that they were faced with at each doctor’s appointment. At Noelle’s 22 week check-up, Phoenix was still measuring 3 weeks behind, but because his chromosomal tests came back normal they needed to start ruling out if it could be a placenta issue or preeclampsia. For the first time the mention of HELLP Syndrome (extreme case of preeclampsia that is bad for the baby and mother) was brought up and now Noelle’s health became a concern too. At 24 weeks Noelle was transported to the hospital and admitted due to poor lab results, low fluid, and growth. She was so worried that “I was going to be delivering a dead baby." Once Noelle was admitted, she and Ben were given 3 choices: 
1.) Deliver the baby at 24 weeks to protect her, but know that Phoenix would not survive.
2.) Deliver the baby at 24 weeks and they will take extreme measures to save Phoenix, but he will have a poor quality of life if he did survive....which was unlikely.
3.) Admit Noelle into the hospital and keep her on monitored bed rest with daily labs for as long as possible, to give Phoenix his best chance of survival.
They chose to admit Noelle into the hospital and monitor her. Eleven days later it was determined that Noelle would be delivering Phoenix due to liver issues. Phoenix was born on August 21st, 2014 at 26 weeks and 3 days, but was the size of a 22 week baby. He was born weighing under a pound, and is officially the smallest baby on record for that age of baby in hospital history. The hospital staff had to create special tubing small enough to intubate Phoenix because he was so small. From the moment Phoenix was born he’s been such a fighter and has exceeded everyone’s expectations. For being a preemie, everything has gone as well as possible for him since being born, with the exception of his eyes. However, since having a special eye surgery Phoenix is doing great with minor loss of his peripheral vision. He was released from the hospital on November 26th, 2014, after 97 days in the NICU at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. Noelle and Ben feel like without the team of doctors, surgeons, and nurses, Phoenix would not have survived. He continues to grow and put on weight, and is truly a MIRACLE in every way.

Children’s Miracle Network really does make miracles happen. Seven years ago when our daughter Isabella was born at 26 weeks gestation, weighing just 2lbs, we were told she only had a 50% chance of survival. Stacked on top of those odds were a 90% or greater chance that if she survived she would face life-long disabilities due to her extremely early arrival. Isabella spent 91 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sacred Heart, fighting every day to survive. Isabella underwent major surgery to fix a hole in her intestines when she was just a month old, surgery that she came very close to not surviving. Isabella also underwent other procedures such as spinal taps, lung treatments, Phototherapy Light Treatment, and more. Despite her many battles and difficulties in the NICU, Isabella proved to be a fighter and she not only survived and is here with us today, she is 100% healthy, happy, and caught up with other children her age. Isabella is living proof that miracles do happen, and that these babies can and do overcome tremendous odds every day. There was never a cause discovered that led to my pre-term labor at 25 weeks. Until that time I had been having a model pregnancy; regular checkups, prenatal vitamins, the whole works. Prematurity can happen to anyone, anywhere, and with little to no warning. The Children’s Miracle Network is an integral part of our community, helping families and babies who are in need, and at their most vulnerable. Ever since we were touched and helped by Children’s Miracle Network, we have made it our mission to give back both to CMN and the community for all they did in helping to save our daughter's life. Thank you. 

Carrie and Willy were so excited as the day they were dreaming of was finally here. They already had a beautiful 2 year old daughter Reagan, and would be welcoming their 2nd child into the world. On September 19, 2008, after a healthy and full term pregnancy, Carrie and Willy arrived at the hospital in the early morning hours for a planned C-section. Anticipating the birth of a perfectly healthy baby boy, their hearts were unfortunately broken seconds after he was born. Their whole world turned upside down and as Hayden took his first breath of air the fight for his life began. Everything went horribly wrong, as severe and unforeseen birth defects were discovered. Hayden was not born at RiverBend, and unfortunately the hospital where he was born was not equipped for neonatal critical care and the doctors struggled to stabilize him. Almost immediately they called for a transport team to move him to Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at a Children’s Hospital, because the equipment available to them was a far cry from what it would take to save Hayden’s life. It was discovered that Hayden’s intestines had formed properly inside his body but had no connection to the outside. That meant that he was completely unable to eat or even swallow, and unable to eliminate waste. He was intubated to protect his airway from aspiration, his abdomen was severely swollen and painful, his left lung was collapsed, and he had heart disease involving deformed valves and holes in his heart. This cascade of events sent him into the early stages of heart failure. Within the first 24 hours of his life he had 2 surgeries to essentially connect his intestines, giving him a colostomy, and then fixing his esophagus. He remained on life support for 10 days alone in his bed. His parents were still unable to hold him, and his health was still so very fragile. When Hayden was 1 month old he was released from the hospital to go home for the first time. He had 5 surgeries and over 52  doctors’ appointments in his first year. In addition, after his first birthday he had to have open heart surgery. Hayden’s diagnosis is VACTERL Sequence, a very rare condition requiring specialized care for a lifetime. Hayden has had a total of 10 surgeries, with countless procedures under general anesthesia or deep sedation in the operating room over the years. Since Hayden’s birth he has always had the most amazing local pediatrician and now receives very specialized care and services at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. RiverBend has developed a pediatric surgery and a cardiology clinic second to none, allowing Hayden’s access to care to remain in his own neighborhood. With the kind, compassionate, and steady hands of the world-class physicians at RiverBend, Hayden’s needs are met and his family does not lose the refuge and comfort of their own home. Hayden’s prognosis is good, but HIS fight continues. Carrie and Willy’s children are Miracles in every sense of the word. Hayden is a soldier, his sister Reagan is a hero; their family are...ALL SURVIVORS. 

I wanted to write a quick thank you for your support of the Lions - CMN Guest House. My wife, Linda, and I stayed there over 60 days while our premature daughter, Ava, was in the Riverbend NICU. We live in Corvallis so staying nearby was a huge benefit for us, and allowed us to visit our daughter much more often and for longer durations than had we been forced to commute every day. We spent many long days and nights in the NICU and the Guest House was a wonderful place to stay in Eugene. I’m certain our ability to be with our daughter for longer periods of time contributed to her steady improvement while in the NICU. A little background on us: My wife, Linda, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 19 weeks pregnant. Since her cancer was aggressive, she underwent chemotherapy soon thereafter, while pregnant. After three rounds of chemo, and at 27 weeks pregnant, Linda’s water broke and we had to deliver our daughter Ava early. We went to the Eugene NICU via ambulance and luckily made it hours before Ava was born. Ava was 970 grams (2 pounds, 2 ounces) when born at 27 weeks. In the NICU, she was provided Donor Breast Milk that the Children’s Miracle Network donated. Since Linda couldn’t breast feed due to her chemotherapy. After over 10 weeks in the NICU, Ava was discharged home, just shy of 6 pounds in weight and healthy. She continues to do well! Linda finished five more rounds of chemotherapy (8 rounds total) after Ava was born and while she was in the NICU. Chemo round 4 was only 1.5 weeks after Ava’s birth via emergency c-section! Being near our daughter during these difficult times was so much appreciated. Our family sends our gratitude for your continued support of the Guest House and to CMN for the Donor Breast Milk and other equipment in the RiverBend Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

Jackie and John went in for a routine ultrasound on August 6th, 2014 to find out if their baby was a boy or a girl. It was a BOY! That excitement was short-lived because their precious baby Oliver was diagnosed with Gastroschisis. This meant that their baby would be born with his intestines on the outside of his body and would need surgery immediately after he was delivered. Jackie’s doctor began to closely monitor Oliver with monthly ultrasounds to track not only his growth, but also the development of his intestines. As things progressed, Jackie and John began to prepare themselves for what life would be like having Oliver in the NICU. The hardest part for them was not knowing how long he would need to stay or how severe his Gastroschisis was. Jackie would be delivering via C-Section at 36 weeks to not only give Oliver the best chance of recovery, but to also minimize further damage to his intestines. On December 4th, 2014 at 35 weeks, Jackie went into premature labor, and baby Oliver was born weighing 6lbs 6oz. He was immediately taken into the first of four surgeries to correct his condition. John was able to be with Oliver on his way to his first surgery as Jackie was recovering from the delivery. She was finally able to meet Oliver later that evening for the first time. After the surgery, Oliver’s surgeon, Dr. Ruscher, let Jackie and John know that Oliver’s condition was more severe than anticipated; he would require at least one more surgery. In Oliver’s first few days he was hooked up to many monitors and a PICC line. This allowed him to receive all the required nutrients needed to keep him healthy, because he was not able to breast feed or ingest any breast milk. After 6 weeks of recovery in the NICU Oliver was healthy and stable enough to have his second surgery. Both pediatric surgeons went in to operate on five sections of Oliver’s intestines that were either not functioning properly or just needed to be removed. Everyone hoped this was going to be his last surgery. However, by February 6th, Oliver’s condition had worsened and further tests showed severe dilation of his bowel; he would need another surgery immediately. Later that day he was taken into his third surgery to repair a blockage and to perform a STEP procedure (Serial Transverse Enteroplasty Procedure), which happened to be the first time it was ever done at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. This was to help Oliver absorb nutrients properly, without removing any more of his intestines. Unfortunately, Oliver continued to struggle after that surgery, on March 3rd, Dr. Ruscher and Dr. Zallen went in for a fourth time to remove a 4-5 cm portion of his intestine. They also inserted a G-Tube and a Broviac central line so that Oliver would finally be able to go home and continue his recovery. After four surgeries and 104 days in the NICU, Oliver was finally discharged on March 17th, 2015....which also happened to be St. Patrick’s Day! Oliver is now breast feeding, smiling all the time, and sleeping through the night. He is still being closely monitored and remains on an IV for a portion of the day, but is definitely on the road to a complete recovery. He is truly a MIRACLE in every sense of the word and is Jackie and John’s super hero. The McLean’s are grateful for the world-class care that Oliver has received from his caregivers, the amazing pediatric surgical team, and his NICU nurses at RiverBend. They are relieved to know that he will continue to receive top-notch care throughout the remainder of his recovery.

Courtney and Kevin could not have been more excited when they found out they were pregnant. Especially after the craziness of the last 5 years - having their first daughter Ruby, and Courtney surviving stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.....they couldn’t be happier. With this incredible surprise Courtney finally felt like she was, “really cancer free." On October 28th, 2014 after a routine Quad Marker Screen, that most mothers have to check for fetal abnormalities, it was determined that the baby might possibly have Spina Bifida. Courtney was immediately seen by genetic specialists where she had various tests and an ultrasound where it was determined that she was having another little girl. Thankfully, it was determined that the baby did not have Spina Bifida or any other chromosomal or neurological disorders. However, the doctors figured out that there was definitely a placenta issue and that the baby was definitely measuring small which meant that she was growth restricted. Courtney started being seen every two weeks and by the time January rolled around things had progressively gotten worse. She was told that she had preeclampsia and now her physicians were not only worried about Rosie, but Courtney too. On January 19th, Courtney was admitted into the hospital for 3 days because of her high blood pressure, low fluid in the womb, increased protein levels, and decreased movement from Rosie. The doctors decided to give Courtney a Mucosin injection, because they knew it was likely that Courtney would go into premature labor and wanted Rosie’s lungs to be alright. A week later on January 26th, Courtney was admitted into the hospital again with similar issues. The very next day Courtney started having abdominal pain, so more tests were done, and it was finally determined that she would be delivering that day. Courtney even said, “I just knew I was going to be delivering that day." On January 27th, 2015 at 30 weeks, Rosie June List was born at 5:31pm weighing 1lb 15oz, but still the size of a 28 week baby. Since she has been born, Rosie has been doing everything she should be doing. She was on the C-PAP machine for less than a day as a precautionary measure to make sure her breathing was in fact OK. Her body temperature remained stable and her oxygen cannula was removed after a couple of weeks. She continued to impress everyone and after 53 days Rosie was discharged from the hospital on March 20th, 2015. She is truly a Miracle, and Courtney, Kevin, and big sister Ruby could not be more in love. She is starting to give out big smiles, loves to snuggle with everyone, and hates poopy diapers. Courtney and Kevin are so happy with the wonderful care they have received from all the doctors, nurses, and caregivers, and feel truly blessed. 

On December 22nd, 2014 after 37 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) baby Andrew Wright was discharged from PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center - RiverBend, and taken home with his family, Danielle and Chris Wright. Danielle’s water broke unexpectedly 30 weeks into her pregnancy. After 5 days of treatments in the hospital, Andrew was delivered 2.5 months early on November 16th, 2014 at exactly 31 weeks weighing 3lbs 12oz. Andrew was placed on a breathing machine (CPAP) for his first night and a feeding tube was inserted; which he’d have until he learned how to eat and breathe at the same time. Andrew was Danielle and Chris’ Christmas Miracle and continues to pass every milestone and live up to his namesake of his older Sister, whom has since passed. Remarkably, Andrew was born on what was to be his sister’s actual due date the year before, and so his Sister’s Angel continues to watch and protect Andrew and the Wright family. Danielle and Chris feel entirely blessed to have their baby boy home and are beyond grateful to the doctors and nurses that all assisted in getting Andrew home, healthy and happy.

On March 15th, 2014, Kassi Sanders received the unexpected good news that she was pregnant. At 15 weeks she went in for her Quad Marker Screen test to determine whether or not there was a chance that her unborn child would have any chromosomal abnormalities. The following week she received the phone call no pregnant mother wants....her Quad Marker Screen was positive for a 1 in 5 chance of her unborn baby having Down Syndrome. Kassi was immediately scheduled for an appointment at Maternal Fetal Medicine with a genetic specialist. After several tests and an ultrasound it was determined that the baby had no chromosomal abnormalities, but the baby had severe IGUR (Inter-Uterine Growth Restriction) due to the placenta not giving the baby enough nutrients. However, Kassi did get some good news....she was having a GIRL! Monthly, and then bi-weekly ultrasounds followed the diagnosis that Kassi was given. At 28 weeks Kassi was admitted into the hospital after it was seen on one of her ultrasounds that the blood flow through the umbilical cord would stop and then start instead of blood flowing consistently to baby Hadley. Kassi remained on monitored bed rest in the hospital with twice weekly ultrasounds and twice daily fetal monitoring for heart tones. Due to lack of improvement for Hadley, fetal monitoring was increased to multiple times daily. On September 10th, 2014, Hadley Grace Nicole Sanders was born at 30 weeks to the day, weighing 1lb 4oz, and her uphill truly began. Hadley’s lungs became her biggest struggle, and she was immediately put on the C-PAP machine for 6 days to help her breathe while being treated in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Once she was taken off the C-PAP it was determined that she would need to be on high flow oxygen as her lungs were still not mature enough (Chronic Lung Disease). Hadley’s other remaining concerns were her eating and her eyes. She remained on oxygen for almost her entire time in the NICU, and her feeding tube remained in place for 2 months. In addition, Hadley required a triple hernia surgery at 13 weeks, which she recovered from amazingly well, surprising her surgeons and doctors yet again. Hadley’s eyes were monitored weekly until discharged from the NICU and continue to be monitored as of today for her immature eyes. Hadley surpassed every doctor, surgeon, and caregiver's expectations. Kassi remained Hadley’s biggest advocate and came to the hospital every day to be by her side. Kassi stayed at the PHSHMC Guest House so she would never be too far away from her precious daughter. After 116 days in the NICU, Hadley was discharged on January 3rd, 2015. Hadley is truly a MIRACLE in every sense of the word. She continues to grow every day and is now smiling and cooing up a storm. Kassi is so grateful for all the care, kindness, and support she received from all her caregivers while Hadley was in the NICU, and knows how lucky she is for her Miracle Baby.

Becca and Stacy were so happy to be adding another bundle of joy to their growing family. At 22 weeks Becca had an appointment with her OB/GYN and was informed that her baby was growth restricted, underweight, and the size of a 20 week-old baby. On August 7th, 2014, Rebecca was admitted to the hospital and told that she had HELLP Syndrome (extreme case of preeclampsia and viral infection that is bad for the baby and mother). On August 11th, 2014, (24 weeks, 16 weeks early) baby Levi was born at 1lb 5oz (600 grams). As a VA nurse, Becca knew that her baby was in for the fight of his life. Thankfully, Levi was only on the ventilator for 5 days, and after 1 week Becca was finally able to hold her precious baby. Levi’s biggest hurdles while in the NICU were his hernias, which are very common in preemies. Every time Levi had a hernia surgery his breathing struggled, it was harder for him to put on weight, and he had increased problems with his bowels. Through it all, Becca and Stacy remained positive and Levi kept a constant happy disposition. On November 12th, 2014, after 94 days in the NICU, Levi was released weighing 5lbs 5oz or 2,486 grams. Levi is still as happy as can be, and Becca and Stacy are so happy to have him home and are incredibly grateful for the team of doctors, surgeons and nurses. Levi is a MIRACLE and we’re so happy to have the opportunity to be a part of his miraculous journey.