A miracle each

A miracle each

For Caitlin and Pete, their journey through pregnancy has been one of heartbreak, but at the end of their journey they were blessed to meet two identical twin boys, Ashton and Lane.

In the feeding chair behind twin cubicles 48 and 49 of Mater Mothers’ Hospitals Neonatal Critical Care Unit (NCCU) sits new mum Caitlin. She is cuddling her 13 day old Mater little miracle Lane while her midwife feeds her other Mater little miracle Ashton. She looks calm, strong and adoringly at her babies, but there’s a piece of her heart missing.

Caitlin lost her mum just three months earlier to Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) an extremely rare spinal chord disease. Months before that, she lost her grandmother.

Through tears, Caitlin explains how they have come to be at this moment.

“We lost my nan (mum’s mum) in early September 2018. Mum had gone into hospital the month before,” Caitlin said.

 “Mum lost all feeling in her left side; she worked very hard and was able to restore feeling. A couple months later she had a relapse and ended up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). My husband and I were in the middle of planning our wedding, so we actually married in the ICU on the 11 November 2018.

“In the end, Mum was a quadriplegic. She was unable to speak and because the disease affected her nerves, we were unable to touch her. On 23 May this year, we lost her,” she said.

On Wednesday 14 August, Caitlin and Pete welcomed their two Mater little miracles. A miracle each for Caitlin’s mum and grandmother.

However, Caitlin’s pregnancy journey had a few twists and turns of its own.       

“I am a Type 1 diabetic and also had cholestasis throughout my pregnancy. At 28 weeks, I started to get ketones in my blood and urine,” Caitlin said.

Ordered to stay in Brisbane and take it easy, Caitlin stayed with a friend for a few days before moving into Mater’s Reg Leonard House, only 100 metres from Mater Mothers’ Private Brisbane.

“My husband works in the mines, seven days on followed by seven days off,” Caitlin said.

“Luckily he had taken three weeks off, because on Tuesday 13 August I went to see my obstetrician. I was feeling really off, and knew there was something wrong. Pete was also extremely worried.

Dr Allen took one look at Caitlin and asked, “What are you doing tomorrow?

“The next day at 33 weeks, we welcomed our boys,” Caitlin said.

“We are all doing really well and the boys are growing and becoming stronger each day. We hope to be home in a few weeks’ time, she said”

Pete has headed home and back to work. He will spend his first Father’s Day on the mine.

“That’s ok because we’re all being looked after in the best way and he’ll be able to take time off when we get home,” Caitlin said.

“For now we are a healthy and happy family of four, and that’s the greatest Father’s Day gift of them all,” Caitlin reflects.

This Father’s Day share your every day moments of parenthood on Mater Mothers’ Hospital Instagram page and tag it #proudmaterdad for your chance to win some fantastic prizes, including a hamper of Mater baby products, featuring our skincare and nappies.

 

Watch the family on 9 News Queensland at 1 minute 10 seconds

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For urgent assessment at any stage of your pregnancy, please present to your nearest emergency centre or Mater Mothers’ 24/7 Pregnancy Assessment Centre in South Brisbane.

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