Hailey Jackson
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Hi my name is Amy, and I have a 15 month old daughter with a trach. She is ventilator dependant, but is starting weaning a little every day. She was born at 32 weeks and weighed 2 lbs. Hailey has Trisomy 9, chronic lung disease, GTube, Bronchomalacia, Tracheomalacia, Hypopitutarism, and apnea. She spent the first 5 1/2 months in the NICU. The doctors told us she wouldn't live to see her first birthday, and she proved them wrong. Hailey is a very happy girl, she hardly ever gets mad. She strives very hard every day to do what should come so easily to a baby, and we are so very proud of her. She has speech, physical, and occupational therapies all twice a week, and we see improvement every day.
Update: June 2002 - HAILEY IS 18 MONTHS OLD NOW, AND OFF THE VENTILATOR ALL DAY. SHE ONLY WEARS IT WHEN SHE SLEEPS AT NIGHT. WE HAD A SWOLLOW TEST DONE TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WENT DOWN RIGHT AND IT DID SO WE ARE SLOWLY STARTED TO GIVE HER TASTES OF DIFFERENT THINGS TRYING TO GET HER TO EAT BY MOUTH A LITTLE BIT. THATS A VERY SLOW PROCCESS.
HAILEY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR BRONCHOSOCOPY AND THEY DOWNSIZED HER TRACH WHILE THEY WERE AT IT SO WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN OUTPATIENT VISIST TURNED OUT TO BE AN OVERNIGHT BECAUSE HAILEY IS HYPOGLACIMIC AND REQUIRES FEEDING COUNTIOUS 24 HRS. OR HER BLOOD SUGER DROPS VERY LOW VERY QUICK.. SO THEY ADMITTED HER IN THE NIGHT BEFORE TO GIVE HER AN IV OF SUGAR WATER AND TO OUR SURPRISE WE GOT TO STAY IN A PRIVATE ROOM WITH HER INSTEAD OF HER STAYING IN THE PICU AGAIN (EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD TO WEAR THE VENT.)
HAILEY STILL CAN'T SIT UP ON HER OWN, OR EVEN LIFT HER HEAD UP WHILE SHE'S ON HER BELLY BUT WE KNOW SHE WILL WITH TIME SO KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED.
Thank you so much,
Richard and Amy Jackson
PEANUT23BUBA@AOL.COM
