Meet Gabriel

Gabriels story starts before he was born. My 19 week ultrasound was picture perfect and I also declined all early testing. Then at 31 weeks (the day after Christmas) we got horriable news. There was concern. The concern was not for Down Syndrome but for T-18 (among other things), which is fatal. They told us he probally would not make it to birth and to prepare for the worst. That is when we asked for the sex and named him. We grieved, cried and told Gabriels older siblings/family. On Jan. 9 at 33 weeks to the day My water broke. Gabriel was born later that night by csection, Jan 9, 2009. I was told I would not get to see him and I didn't. He was whisked away. At the wee hours of the night I was wheeled in to see him. That night we were told of the possiably he had Down Syndrome. As many babies in the NICu he had many trials. On March 9, (one week after his due date he was trached and gtubed. That still didn't fix things and so the vent was added weeks later. After 5 months in the NICU he came home. Then in Jan 2010 just days after turning 1 we learned he had AML M-7 Leukemia. One week later he was admitted to the PICU (as he was on the vent) and started chemo the next day. After round 2 things went horriably wrong. He got sick and sick fast. First the temp, blood infection, septic, systems shuting down, could not control body temp and his lungs where filled with fluid (Acute repitory distress syndrome.) He was placed in a medical come, on the oscillator, nitric and 13 med pumps. That first weekend they bagged him multiple times and docs went over our last stopping point for Gabe. After 31 days he went back on the convential vent and the weaning of his meds began. This is when a friend of mine put me in contact with Lacey - as Jax and Gabe are alot alike. We went home from the PICU after 4 months and only 2 out of the 6 chemos done. Doctors and us agreed any more chemo would Kill him. We also left knowing if it comes back no more can be done. A year and a half later the remisson holds and many hospital stays since. Gabrielnow plays with his new blanket for Jax and Lacey at home. Believe it or not this is the short version!!!!