Andrew

From Andrew's mom:

After three long years of infertility, I fell pregnant with twin boys Axel and Andrew. Thursday February 6th 2020 is the day our life changed. At 26 weeks 4 days I began having bad back pain and went to our local emergency room in Saint Joseph MI. I was admitted immediately for preeclampsia and my water broke when the midwife did a quick check on me. I was considered stable to be transferred but unfortunately, they were unable to find a hospital that was able to take me and the boys due to overcrowding. Finally Grand Rapids agreed to do a midnight transfer but since I was considered stable and it was a blizzard out, we were not sure what was going to happen. My contractions kept getting worse and I knew they were going to come any minute. So many thoughts we’re going through our heads and I started to have a panic attack. Then everything started happening quickly, before we were able to be transferred the boys arrived. 7:42 Axel was born weighing 1lb 15 oz and 7:45 Andrew weighing 1lb 13 oz it was one of the scariest moments of our lives and the unknown future of our boys. My Dr called memorial and their amazing NICU team came to get my boys, I also was lucky and got to meet them before they left but unfortunately, I was not able to go with them due to my high Blood Pressure. Friday I was finally able to go see my boys. I was readmitted for High BP again that Saturday but I got to be in a room right around the Corner from them. The boys were doing great until Andrew fell sick on February 15th and passed away On February 17th. Saying goodbye was one of the Hardest decisions we ever had to make and our life was definitely not the same but we had to be strong for Axel.

Axel had a few setbacks but that was to be expected and it was a roller coaster of emotions. Feedings were not well and he was aspirating milk so we had to do a swallow study and work with speech on his latch. 98 days later on May 15th 2020, Axel came home! The support from our primary nurses, Doctors and staff played a huge role in our life and they will always be family to us. Axel is 4 almost 5 now and doing amazing. He is in PK and loving all his new friends. He is a healthy, wild carefree boy and loves making us laugh.

"The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to." — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

-Katie Hunt