Daniel's Story

Once again I am posting a birthday post late, but at least I’m doing it! ;-)
Daniel is our third child and he turned 12 on the 20th of February. I can’t believe this sturdy boy is the same little premature baby I saw lying gasping for breath in an incubator. He was born a month early and while he did breathe at birth, his lungs lacked the substance needed for proper oxygen absorption (I THINK it’s Surfactant) and he wasn’t getting sufficient oxygen with each breath. He got tired about 2 hours after birth and just stopped breathing, so he was intubated and spent about 5 days on a respirator, and a total of 12 days in NICU.
The day of his birth is one I’ll never forget! Both my other births had been inductions (for reasons too complicated to go into now) with epidurals, so I didn’t really know what natural labour felt like. I had seen the gynae the day before for my 36-week checkup, and she had mentioned that I had a mild bladder infection, and had prescribed some medication. At that stage we only had one car, and Malcolm was working in Johannesburg city centre which was about an hour’s drive from where we lived. On that day he had gone to work early (about 5am with a colleague named Francois, in Francois’ car). I was due to visit a friend that morning, and had seen Malcolm off, and climbed back into bed with a book, enjoying the time alone.
On waking I had felt vague cramp-like pains in my lower abdomen, but had thought it was the bladder infection, and hadn’t paid much attention to them. While lying reading I realized they were getting worse, and wondered if I should take something to ease them. But then I decided to rather take a warm, soothing bath. It was lying in the bath that a light slowly came on in my pregnancy-induced porridge-brain!!! The pains were regular…they were getting worse...and with each one my stomach was actually contracting (so that I could see it!)…. The next two hours or so were such chaos, and I don’t have any idea of time, so I’ll just write it down in this way:
• I jumped out the bath, and phoned Malcolm, who told me to phone the gynae, and get back to him as soon as I had.
• Instead I phoned my mom, who told me that it sounded as though I was in labour, and to contact the gynae.
• I phoned the gynae, spoke to the receptionist, who asked how long I had been feeling the pains. I said only about an hour or so, so she advised me to come in and see the doctor. (I’d know better now…)
• I phoned Malcolm, and told him not to worry, I’d take myself to the doctor – after all he was too far away, I wasn’t due for another month, I had the car, and I hadn’t been feeling the pains all that long… (how optimistic I was…)
• Malcolm told me to just stay there, he’d come and fetch me.
• By this time, Eden (3) and Nathan (2) had wakened, found my bath water and climbed in. I had to take them out, dress them, stop them fighting, explain what was happening, put their shoes on – and the contractions were getting stronger…
• Phoned my mom, to tell her to be ready as she would be coming to care for Eden and Nathan while I’d be in hospital.
• My dad phoned to ask if I was ok.
• Malcolm phoned to tell me he was on his way, had Francois’ car and Francois’ cell phone (his had just broken) and give me the number.
• Francois phoned to tell me Malcolm had his phone and give me the number.
• My sister phoned to ask how it was going – and hoped it was another boy!
• I phoned a friend who lived near the hospital to ask if we could drop the kids off with her until my folks got there.
• I packed my bags into the car, loaded the kids up, told them to sit tight and went to unlock the gate.
• The lock wouldn’t open due to the rain we’d been having. I had visions of climbing over a six-foot wall... and all the while the pains were getting worse!!
• Went inside to phone Malcolm and see where he was. He’d made record time (I don’t want to know the speed he drove at) and was around the corner.
• He also struggled with the lock and by the time he got it open was so worked up he flung the gate open; it promptly fell off its runner and crushed the neighbor’s bushes!
• We set off for the doctor’s rooms – headlights on, hazards flashing, through red lights… I kept my eyes closed and prayed, and tried to cope with the ever-increasing pain. Eden and Nathan sat huddled together at the back and didn’t say a word!
• Why we didn’t go to the hospital I can’t explain, luckily my gynae is only 2 blocks from the hospital. Malcolm drove me right in and I went to the reception desk and waited there – hoping I wouldn’t have a contraction in front of everyone! There were quite a few people in the waiting room and they all looked at me curiously.
• I was shown to the sonar room as there were patients in the other rooms. My gynae came through almost immediately and did an examination. Her eyes went as wide a saucers and she told me to get to the hospital as I was already 9 cm dilated!!
• She ran ahead of me into the waiting room, and told Malcolm – in front of everyone!! The women all looked interested, the men looked nervous!
• Malcolm got such a fright he hurried out to start the car, leaving me to follow. Halfway to the car I realized that Eden and Nathan were still in the waiting room, so I went back to fetch them. They were sitting together on a couch, looking scared – so did some of the men!
• We drove the 2 blocks to the hospital and Malcolm was so worried that he tried to get in at the exit boom. He had to reverse and go in the entrance, and he dropped me off at the main doors.
• And that’s where everything, which until then had gone super-fast, suddenly slowed down to a crawl! The only orderly at the door was about 100 years old! I got into the wheelchair, clutching my bag, and he looked at me and asked, “Where to???” Like there’s anywhere else a heavily pregnant woman would want to go….
• Malcolm left me there to take the kids to our friend, and the orderly s-l-o-w-l-y took me to Obstetrics. As we got to the door I jumped out the wheelchair, said thanks and was through the doors before he could even ring the bell!

Well, from then on, everything happened much the same as any delivery. I was thrilled to have another son, but he was taken away shortly afterwards and given extra oxygen. When I next saw him, he was a slightly grey colour, and each breath seemed an effort. I remember crying over the way he looked, and not long after that they came to tell me that they’d had to put him on a respirator. It wasn’t an easy time, I so much wanted to hold him and cuddle him, and going home without my baby was awful. Still, the doctors and nurses all said he was such a strong little boy, and such a fighter. He came home 12 days later – and grew into a fat, cheerful little baby! Today he’s a strong, sturdy, good-looking young man, with a wonderful sense of humour. I chose the name Daniel after my favourite Bible character. I love the way Daniel stood firm on his belief in God, in the midst of Babylon, even as a young lad! It is my prayer for my son that he may grow in Faith, to be strong like his namesake, even in the midst of the times in which we live. We love you, Daniel!



(When Malcolm finally got home that evening he had to put the gate back on its runner. It was very heavy and he broke two ribs in the process…)