VICTORIA'S PAGE

THE COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY

Soon after the announcement of Susie’s pregnancy, I quickly began to research and prepare all of the food that was recommended ‘best’ for her and the baby. Checking with a nutritionist first, it was suggested that I visit a website called "pregnancy week by week guide" where they offered specific types of food for each week to aid in the baby’s development. Excited to help in my baby’s (healthy) growth, I began printing and organizing a sort of cooking book for the pre-birth of Victoria; every Sunday night in bed became ‘story time’ as I read Susie what changes would occur (for her and the baby) in the up-coming week.

SHE'S HERE!!!

On JUNE 22 2008, Victoria came into this world and words could not describe the happiness it brought us. We were extremely exhausted at the same time, but firmly held each other’s hand. It was amazing—Victoria was so beautiful—I couldn't wait to hold her. After cutting the umbilical cord, getting the chance to cradle her little body made my entire world shake; I couldn’t believe I was a dad! For the first two days, sitting bed-side to my wife and baby girl, I slept in the hospital room on the most uncomfortable (foldable) chair. Of course it didn't matter—actually, it was all worth it—I was the happiest man in the world.

After the last of the infant screening tests were done, we were off, on our way home where all of her poupees (French for ‘dolls’) and nounours (teddy bears) were waiting for her. At this point, we noticed her face was somewhat yellow and informed the hospital who told us it was probably Jaundice and would disappear over the next few days. However, it only got worst—spreading over her entire body. Along with that, she was not eating enough (we did opt for breastfeeding) and could not wake up by the third day.

That same Sunday is one that continues to haunt me; we received a phone call from the hospital with the results from the screening tests... We were advised to rush her to the emergency room and to this day, quite in the middle of an emotional breakdown, I don’t understand how we made it there.

THAT AWFUL DIAGNOSIS

A soon as we arrived in the emergency room, we were directed to the ‘Genetics and Metabolic’ department. There, the doctors explained what exactly was happening to Victoria—revealing that she had Galactosemia. Susie and I looked at each other, filled with mixed emotions; we had never heard that name before but were relieved that they found it (in time)…

At this point, Victoria was totally unresponsive and we were just so scared… They took her to another room and started poking her with huge needles for the IV. Because she was only three days old, they couldn’t easily find her veins and had to poke her a number of times.

Because her levels of galactose were so high, they had to put her in an incubator. (Her bilirubin was high—which was what had affected her liver and made her yellow—so this was necessary for her to get back her natural color.) However, by the second day, the unthinkable happened; the specific machine that Victoria was placed in had an issue of beeping too often so the alarm was turned off and due to that, nobody noticed what was really going on. It was when I ended up putting my arms in to hold her that I realized the temperature was too high and it had been burning her all along… We needed to use a towel to completely remove a layer of burned skin from her body… It was hard to stay optimistic and hold back our tears..

THE BLUE MACHINE

WE SPENT THE WHOLE DAY AND MOST OF THE NIGHT WATCHING AND HOLDING (WHEN PERMITED) LITTLE VICTORIA IN THE “BLUE MACHINE; LIKE WE WERE HAWKS ON A PRAY. WE DIDN’T EVEN LEAVE THE ROOM FOR LUNCH OR DINNER—SOMETHING THE NURSES NOTICED SO THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE GO TO THE FAMILY ROOM AND GET A SNACK. THEY PROMISED US THEY WOULD TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER WHILE WE WENT FOR A CUP OF CAFFE A COUPLE OF FLOORS DOWN. WE STAYED IN THE ROOM AND THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE WE DECIDED TO ACTUALLY GO..

WE RETURNED 2O MINUTES LATER AND PANICKED WHEN WE STEPPED OFF OF THE ELEVATOR. WE HEARD VICTORIA SCREAMING WHILE WALKING DOWN THE HALL WAY AND WERE SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT NO ONE WAS BESIDE HER; NOT A SINGLE NURSE, NO ONE. THAT’S WHEN WE AGGREED THAT WE WOULD NEVER—EVER—LEAVE HER ALONE AGAIN. (..SHE IS ALMOST THREE YEARS OLD NOW AND WE’VE STUCK TO OUR PLAN.)

VICTORIA'S PAGE

US

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

HAPPY HAPPY

WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE JOY OF THAT MOMENT