John Joseph Patrick Kitchin
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John Joseph Patrick Kitchin was born on October 27, 2001, four weeks earlier than doctors expected, and not without the drama of an incredible entrance. I had gone through
about 14 hours of labor at home by myself, and finally commanded my husband to drive me to the hospital. When my doctor first examined me, I was dilated to seven, given an epidural when the doctor broke my water.
The doctor told me that I should rest since I would need my energy to push in about 4 hours. Suddenly, the doctor noticed that the baby's
heart rate suddenly dropped. He calmly said that he was going to try to move the baby and the cord, but if the
heart rate didn't improve that I would need an emergency c-section. Without any hesitation, I said, "Let's go now."
About twenty seconds later, nurses were running with my gurney down the hall toward surgery.
Nearly 45 minutes later I awoke to have my husband confirm that we had a new baby named Johnnie and that he had Down Syndrome. So what? Who cares? We knew there was a slim chance he'd be born with Down's, but it
didn't matter. He was so beautiful! He smiled at me as soon as he heard my voice!
That was nearly two years ago. Since then, Johnnie was trached at six weeks old after going into respiratory distress in the pediatrician's office. He had
tracheomylacia. He caught RSV and bronchiolitis. He survived an incompetent private nurse who didn't know that if you heard him cry out loud, that his trach had come out and he couldn't breathe. The holes in his heart healed up by the time he was nine months. He had tubes put in his ears, and numerous visits to the ER for different problems. He had his tonsils and adenoids removed, and surgery on his epiglottis to make more room in his tiny airway.
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The day we left the hospital after his trach was removed.
Can you see the joy on his dad's face?!
Finally after almost two years with a trach (we were told he'd have it for nine months) he was decannulated on August 13, 2003! Some trachs really aren't forever! They really can come out!
The week after he was decannulated, Johnnie started to walk! He's jabbering up a storm, and love to hear his beautiful little laugh!
We had the most supportive families...the best team of doctors...three orders of Catholic nuns and two priests praying for our little family the whole time! We are so lucky!
