Stefan Ozer

The Ozer family’s journey – Stefan, Katie, Nolan (7), Bear (woof woof) and Ethan (5)

 Our story begins in April 2017 when we found out we were having a baby. The summer went by fast and everything seemed to be going really well. Fast forward to August 2017, we had our 20-week anatomy scan and found out we were having a boy! Everything looked great but Nolan’s long bones were measuring short. The doctor didn’t seem too concerned and wanted us to come in for a follow up a few weeks later. We didn’t know at the time but that is when the pregnancy started to take its own path and our sweet baby was about to be tested. We turned to the perinatologists at Greenwich Hospital for assistance. After several more ultrasounds we found out that Nolan’s growth was severely restricted, and that Katie was developing early onset preeclampsia.

In October 2017, we started our long stay in the hospital when Katie’s blood pressure started to rise and there was absent end diastolic flow from the placenta to Nolan. Hospital bedrest along with daily ultrasounds were required from that point on. Katie and Nolan were monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On the evening of October 31, Katie’s doctors came in to let us know that the absences in the blood flow to Nolan’s heart and brain were too severe and it was time for Nolan to come out. On the morning of November 1, the doctors started Katie on magnesium sulfate for 8 hours and gave her a final round of steroid shots for Nolan’s lung development. They decided the c-section would be at 3:00 pm that day. Even though we had already spent several weeks in the hospital, this was very shocking news for us but we were excited to meet our son and trusted the doctor’s that this was the best thing.

Nolan came out crying and punching his arms! He had an 8/9 Apgar score, which is great for a 30-week gestation baby especially weighing 2lbs 3ozs. Katie and I were elated with joy! We were able to spend a moment with our son and I was able to hold him before the neonatologists took him to the NICU. After about 2 hours of prepping Nolan, we were able to see him. The neonatologist had IVs in Nolan’s umbilical cord and in his arm to provide all the nutrients Nolan would need and said the first 72 hours are the most critical for his lung function. At this time, we didn’t realize the next 72 hours were going to be critical for Katie as well.

On November 3, Katie’s blood pressure started to creep up again and they started her on blood pressure medications. On November 5, the night before we were supposed to go home, her blood pressure rose to dangerous levels and they moved her back to labor and delivery to start her on 24 hours of magnesium sulfate. A few days later, Katie was almost back to normal and we were able to go home. Sadly, our sweet baby Nolan couldn’t come with us and would be spending quite a while in the NICU. The next 51 days were filled with ups and downs but the nurses and doctors became like family to us. On December 21, we were able to bring Nolan home and really start our lives as a family. Nolan came home at 4 lbs. 11 oz. and we could barely see him in his car seat. 😊

For Nolan’s first 16 months, we experienced a few more anomalies. After 6 months, Nolan had a successful inguinal hernia surgery and after 15 months Nolan had a successful craniotomy and rhinoplasty to remove a dermoid cyst with intracranial connection.

Now, seven years later, you would never know that Nolan had been through so much as a baby. He has caught up in size to his friends and is on target for all his other milestones, and we like to think is living his best life. We couldn’t be prouder of Nolan, and I couldn’t be more proud of Katie for everything she has gone through.

We are extra grateful for all the doctors and nurses that helped us through this journey because without them things might have turned out differently.