Sophia Maria ~ Marie and Thomas Spagnuolo
and twin sister Gabriella  1 October 2004

Because of the trauma she went through at birth, I can't tell you how much my husband and I worried that Sophia would be ok. That "we'll have to wait and see" advice the doctors gave us really was tough to live by. But just in the last few months I've really stopped worrying about her development.  We can't believe how lucky we are, and we still thank God for her and her sister everyday.  I hope that Sophia's story gives hope to those who are going through what we went through. But mostly I hope and pray no one ever has to go through this.......ever again. 
On October 1st, 2004 at 35 weeks pregnant with twins, as I was getting ready for bed around midnight, I felt a strong contraction and at the time I thought my water had broke, then when I went to the bathroom I saw quite a bit of blood. I called the doctor a little bit panicked and he told me some blood is normal but to go to the hospital. I woke my husband and told him that it was time (still not thinking too much of the blood)! When we arrived at the hospital I could barely talk the contractions were coming so fast and strong. I went to the bathroom and saw a second gush of blood. I told the nurse and she assured me everything was fine. I was quickly examined and then hooked up to the monitors. After a short time of monitoring the babies, the nurse called over the doctor and with a look of concern whispered something to him, which I now know was that one of the babies heart rate was accelerating. But at the time I think they just weren't sure. It was hard to keep both babies on the monitor at the same time. The doctor said it was a good idea to go ahead and have a C-section because I wasn't dilating at all due to surgery I had on my cervix a year prior. Of course my husband and I agreed but still not even having a clue that anything was wrong. Our Mothers came in before they wheeled me into the operating room and we were all very excited. The moment we've all been waiting for...to finally meet these baby girls!

When they got Sophia out my husband knew something was wrong she wasn't crying and looked blue. A minute later our other daughter Gabriella was out and crying and was just great. But still nothing from Sophia! My husband kept saying over and over again (as the doctors kept trying to revive her)... come on Sophia, come on Sophia. Then I heard the doctor yell to all of the other doctors and nurses that he needed help with Sophia, he told them to leave our other daughter and help him with her, I knew then just how serious this was. I got just a glimpse of our daughter being taken to the NICU with a group of doctors still working hard to get her going. I was then wheeled into a room where we waited to hear news of our daughter.

An eternity later a neonatologist came to talk to us. She told us Sophia was born not breathing, they couldn't detect a heartbeat, and  she lost half her blood, after several minutes they resuscitated her. She told us we had one perfect baby and as for Sophia we just don't know yet.

NO! This isn't happening! I thought.

After a very tearful goodbye they transferred Sophia to another hospital where they had a higher level NICU. My husband went with Sophia to the other hospital while Gabriella and I had to stay behind. We were told the first 48 hours we would just have to wait and see. Sophia's kidneys, liver, and bowels were failing. I remember everyone just praying for her to pee (since that was an obvious sign that her kidneys were starting to work)! Well slowly everything did start to work again.

The main concern was how this had affected her brain. Dr. Martin Espinosa was the only who doctor let us hang on to the hope that our daughter could be normal. My husband and I will never forget him! "Babies are very resilient" he would say. We are forever grateful him. Without him I don't know how we would have made it through that horrible first two weeks.

On October 14th our miracle baby got to finally come home. After having a normal EEG and MRI... and after being examined by a neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist and pediatrician, they all say she is just fine and that we are very lucky! Don't we know it!

At 4 months old she does everything just like her sister and she is already rolling over! We thank God for her everyday and couldn't imagine our life without her.

It wasn't until later we learned what had happened. The doctor said it was velamentous insertion of the cord, the cord separated from the placenta and when that happens the baby loses a lot of blood FAST. It made me so sick to think that the blood I lost was Sophia's!

Something else that really upset me was this could have been detected and the trauma my daughter went through could have been prevented had I had a color Doppler ultrasound during my pregnancy. I had two risk factors: a low lying placenta in the beginning of my pregnancy and it was also a multiple pregnancy. I hope and pray in the future that this type of ultrasound will be a routine procedure so no other baby has to suffer the way our daughter did.

 

Thomas and Marie Spagnuolo
Parents of Sophia Maria Spagnuolo born 10-1-2004 at 2:19AM
A Vasa Previa Survivor

 


Sophia Maria Spagnuolo
A Vasa Previa Survivor

  


Everyone just prayed


2 years old!
Sophia and her twin sister Gabriella
Sophia is on the right