NewsRadio Savannah and our sponsor The Dewitt Tilton Group introduces you to the Wilson family and their Ronald McDonald House Of The Coastal Empire experience:
My pregnancy was high risk due to having 2 previous miscarriages. I was diagnosed with incompetent cervix meaning my cervix is short and it would cause me to go into early labor. I had surgery to receive a cerclage to keep my cervix from opening and after 1 month, my cervix began to funnel from the top. My doctor decided to place another cerclage to have a viable pregnancy.
On 12/01/2022, I was 22w4days my water broke while I was cooking. I drove to my local hospital while on the phone with my doctor. I went into labor and delivery, and they confirmed my water had broken. They gave me magnesium and a steroid shot to strengthen my babyās lungs. They also let me know I was being transferred to Savannah, GA because they are more equipped to handle my situation. I arrived in Savannah where I spent 9 days in the hospital awaiting his arrival.
On 12/09/2022 my sonās umbilical cord began to come out before his body. I had to be rushed to the OR for an emergency C-Section because he was losing oxygen. He was born within minutes, but he was not breathing and weighing 1lb 1oz. I woke up in recovery and my nurse informed me he was not breathing, and they were resuscitating him. Once he was stable, they placed him on a breathing ventilator. While my son was fighting for his life and being far away from home, I did not know what to do. Then I heard of the Ronald McDonald House from the NICU staff and applied to stay. A short time later, I received a call from the Ronald McDonald House and was offered a room.
While in the NICU he had a total of 7 surgeries and was put on a ventilator so many times he developed Pulmonary Hypertension and was diagnosed with Chronic Lung Disease. His lung health started to decline and about a month and a half later he was able to have the breathing tube removed and placed on a lower oxygen support, but his CO2 and O2 requirements were still high. It was then decided to be transferred to Childrenās Hospital of Atlanta Scottish Rite. While at Scottish Rite, he was started on medications to control his pulmonary hypertension and lower his CO2 and O2 levels. His levels began to drop and 1 month later we were on track to start talking about being sent home on high flow oxygen. I started going through all the classes and training for the home equipment, and after 2 weeks he was discharged on Halloween. After 10 long months we were discharged, and home life has been great. My son is smart, strong, loves to play and put everything in his mouth.
For the first 8 months I was able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Savannah, Ga before we were transferred to Atlanta. They provided snacks, daily meals, a place for me to do laundry, and a room to rest. Thank you to the Ronald McDonald House for giving me a place to stay while my son was in the hospital.
How to help:
ā° Accepting monetary donations between Now - December 11th, 2023
š Please deliver all cash, check, and gift card donations directly to iHeartMedia Savannah, 245 Alfred Street Savannah, GA 31408
š³Forms of donations accepted:
- Click here to make an online donation to the RMH. Add "Shop With A Cop" in memo.
- Checks made out to Ronald McDonald House with "Shop WithĀ A Cop" in memo.
- Visa, Master Card, AmEx or Target cards.
- Cash
Sponsored by The Dewitt Tilton Group!