Ann's Blog on premature baby

Ann's second semester blog #2:


"'Miracle baby' homecoming delayed" (cnn.com, februrary 20, 2007)

Amillia Sonja Taylor is the little girl in the picture who was born extremely prematurely. She spent a record breaking short time inside her mother womb. After the mere 22 weeks inside, she was born on October 24, 2006. She could now be released from the hospital, but they are keeping her there for a few extra days as a precaution. Part of the reasoning behind this is because of some test results that prove her to be vulnerable to infection. On October 24, when she was born, she weighed less than 10 ounces and was only nine and one half inches long. What a little baby!!! Since then she has grown to become 4 and one half pounds and grown to a length of 15 and one half inches. (still a little baby) She has had some issues involving her health so far with things like respiratory and digestive problems and a mild brain hemorrhage. Thankfully, the doctors predict that these issues won't produce long term effects. Amillia has been on an incubator since her birth in order to receive proper amounts of oxygen. With her release, she will continue to receive some sort of supplement that will continue to help her in receiving oxygen.

What a precious little thing!!! I can't imagine a baby that weighed less than 10 ounces. My first reaction is cute, but then I think, SCARY. The poor parents... What a struggle for them. I can't imagine what that would be like and I hope that I never have to experience it for myself. I know that when I become pregnant I will have amazingly high expectations and think that nothing bad could ever happen to "my" baby. And I am sure that every other female in the world has a similar mindset. Obviously I will still be cautious and things like that, but I picture my baby's birthday as the most joyful day I will experience. I'm sure it was quite the shocker for the mother to know that she is only 22 weeks along and the doctors are going to make it time for her baby to be on its own. I bet that was one of the scarriest realities of her life. To me, it would almost be like a horror story. I would have trouble accepting that it was really happening and that the child of my dreams, who I already love, is in a very critical condition. What is even worse is that from there it doesn't get any better. Then come the constant battles against the infections of the world. It would probably be such a challenge to know that, as a mother, you couldn't do anything to help. I would want to be like, 'here baby, talk my antibodies, Ill help you fight off the world.' Gol, and to think about how much money it must be costing the parents. What a rollercoaster of an experience for these first time parents. What chaos. I pray for these people and also for me so that when I become a mom, I never have to go through this. (Current events are crazy to me, in my blogs I always end up saying, "they'll be in my prayers" everything is about the struggles of life and the bad things. Scary.)

Article from:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/20/tiny.baby.ap/index.html
picture from;
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/20/tiny.baby.ap/index.html

Ann's second semester bl0g #1:
"Woman charged after son, 4, mauled by pit bull" (cnn.com, Februrary 4, 2007)

A four year old boy living in Toledo, Ohio had to have his leg amputated after the family pet, a pit bull, chewed on it. His mother, Martina Jennings, who is twenty-three, then took him to the hospital on Friday because his foot was bleeding. She reported that there was blood smeared on their dog's face and chest. The four year old wasn't able to feel the dog mauling at his foot because he has a condition called spina bifida which prevents him from having feeling below his waist. This condition is a defect that occurs during birth when the spinal cord doesn't connect with the backbone. The pit bull that made a chew toy out of young flesh was destroyed. There is debate about whether or not the dog would have been capable of chewing the four year-olds foot to such a degree because his teeth had not yet matured. The mother is now being charged with child endangering and is being held in the Lucas county jail on that felony charge. When investigators called the Jennings’ house on Saturday, nobody answered. It is still unknown whether or now she had hired an attorney.

I feel really bad for the mother of this little boy. Heartbreak number one = a child with a birth defect that doesn't allow him to have feeling below his waist. Heartbreak number two = this same child has to get his foot amputated. I think it would be so hard to have a child that was in any way, shape, or form not normal. I look up to the parents of children with birth defects and command them for their c0ntinual love. After hearing how those words come out I feel bad about how much society has affected me. Who classifies someone as "normal" or "not normal"? Its so unfair to me that people have to be so judgemental and that i have to feel bad for someone who has their foot amputated. Honestly, what difference does it make? They are still the same person. Anyway, I am sure the mother is feeling terrible about what happened and feeling really guilty that she left him alone with the dog for however long or whatever. And now she is getting charged with a felony on the basis of endangering her child. This is always the worst, in my opinion. When guilt would be a good enough punishment and then someone decides that further punishment and humiliation is necessary. I hope everything works out for her in the end.

Article From:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/04/mauling.ohio.ap/index.html
Picture From:
http://www.doggienews.com/uploaded_images/happy-pit-bull-725646.jpg