By Dina, New York USA
PROM at 22 weeks + 4 days. Delivery at 24 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2002-11-15

I had a regular doctors appt. on September 11, 2002. That morning I noticed blood in my discharge. I was a worry wart over everything with my pregnancy so seeing blood made me more worried. I wanted to be the very first appt. that day. Then I found out the doctors wouldnt be in till 2pm. When I went to the office, I told the dr to check my cervix to give me piece of mind. He did and thats when he told me my membranes ruptured, I was 4cm dialted and the sacks of water were hanging. He told me to go directly to the hospital (labor and delivery) and to be careful. My sister was with me thank god and she drove me there. It felt like it took forever to get there. I was crying but also trying not to get to upset so I wouldnt do further damage down there.

We finally got the the hospital around 3:30pm. (Traffic) I called my husbands cell phone and told him to get there ASAP. My regular ob didnt get to the hospital until around 8pm that night. He told me in his opinion I should terminate the pregnancy. I told him that wasnt an option. He said if I had the baby before 23 weeks they wouldnt resusitate. I was hysterical crying for the longest time. I just couldnt stop sobbing thinking about possibly losing my precious baby that took us so long to have. The week before we had our Level II sonogram and all was fine. We found out we were having a boy. I always wanted a baby boy. The doctor's didnt think I would make it past a week with the pregnancy. But I fooled them. I layed in that bed for 12 days with my head down and my legs up. On the morning of September 23rd I went into labor. I was 24w2d then. I was scared out of my mind becuase I knew I had to have a c-section. It was terrifying to say the least. Dylan John was born at 8:33am. The doctors said he looked good and was pink and breathing on his own. It was a miracle. We thought he would be ok. He was such a little fighter. And he looked EXACTLY like my husband.

All was fine until he got a yeast infection that weekend. It was in his blood stream. Being that he was so little his immune system couldnt fight anything off. :( The yeast infection attacked his already inmature lungs. He wound up with the worlds worst chronic lung disease. He passed away on November 1st. He was with us for 39 days. And in those 39 days he touched more lives than an 80 year old. We love him so much and miss him more than words can express.