Gabriela's Story
Welcome to our story and the journey that has led us to where we are today.
On April 12, 2023, we found out we were pregnant with our first child. We planned and prepared for this moment. What we never anticipated was how the journey would end. On August 2, 2023, we went to our 20-week anatomy scan. Tabitha had been feeling pressure in her lower pelvic area and voiced this to the technician. She looked at her cervix and completed the scan. We then waited for the doctor. The doctor said the baby looked great but Tabitha’s cervix is not where it should be. She is at risk of premature labor and will be referred to the Maternal Fetal Specialists for a cerclage. It’s a stitch they put on the cervix to keep it closed and prevent premature labor. We never made it to that appointment because 3 days later Tabitha’s water broke. We rushed to the hospital and waited for a doctor to meet with us.
On September 14, 2023, at 2:37 p.m. Gabriela Grace appeared in this world at 26 weeks and 2 days. She continued to grow and remained strong despite having low amniotic fluid. She was big for her gestational age and even had a small cry upon her entrance. However, she was still a very premature baby and her lungs collapsed shortly after birth. She was administered oxygen and rushed off to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The first 72 hours were critical, but she showed good signs of her condition. Over the next few days, she moved often. She even grabbed her feeding tube and the crocheted animals in her incubator. She was a fierce little one and already showed so much personality. She made it past 72 hours and the doctors prepared us for a long NICU journey, but a couple of days later, everything changed.
She confirmed Tabitha’s water ruptured and that she would go into labor in the next 48 hours. If not, then most likely in the next week. Tabitha didn't go into labor and was discharged from the hospital. We were sent home with instructions that if we made it to viability (we had the option of choosing if that would be 22, 23, or 24 weeks) then we could be admitted to the hospital. While 24 weeks is viability in the medical field, there have been stories of 22 and 23 weekers surviving, therefore, the choice was ours. We found out that Tabitha’s water breaking this early was called Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) and this can sometimes occur when one has an incompetent cervix. At 22 weeks and 5 days, Tabitha was admitted to the hospital. Our hope was that she would be there until 34 weeks and then be Induced. Week after week, Tabitha didn't go into labor and our baby continued to grow.
Gabriela became sick on her 5th day of life. She wasn’t taking feeds well and her skin was pale. The doctors feared it was Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a bacterial infection in the gut. She wasn't responding to antibiotics and would need surgery to remove the infected tissue. Their recommendation was to transfer her to the only hospital in the area that could perform the surgery.
Gabriela was a fighter. She fought to stay in Tabitha’s womb for 6 extra weeks with low amniotic fluid. She fought to cry upon her entrance into this world. She fought to lower her heart rate enough so she could be transferred, despite being unstable. She made it through transport and became stable enough for the new hospital to perform surgery. However, the doctors could not remove the infected tissue. The disease spread quickly, and she didn't have any intestinal tissue to save. There was no cure and there was nothing else they could do. Her body started to shut down until her heart stopped.
Our little fighter, our firstborn, Gabriela Grace, fought until the very end. In her short life, she gave us wonderful memories and showed us her fighting spirit. She changed the course of our lives forever and impacted us in so many ways. The least we can do to honor her life is to help raise awareness and provide comfort to others.
Always and Forever our Firstborn.