From hospital to home

How an educational video in the NICU helped one mom save her son's life.

Identical twins Crew and Carter were diagnosed in utero with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a rare condition in which the babies shared one placenta and a network of blood vessels. These blood vessels can be unevenly distributed, causing Crew—the “donor” twin—to give away more blood than he received. While the “donor” baby may suffer from malnourishment and organ failure, the “recipient” baby, Carter, received too much blood that could overwork his heart.

Thankfully, the blood flow issue reversed itself during the pregnancy, which is incredibly rare. “I give credit for that miracle to God and the hundreds of people praying for us,” said the twins’ mother, Dominique.

Then, at 31 weeks, doctors found that Crew had an absent and reverse cord flow. Dominique underwent an emergency C-section to save Crew’s life, and the twins were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest in Waco.

“I felt like my babies were in the safest place they could be in the NICU,” Dominique said. “The staff, nurses and doctors were so helpful. I bonded with other NICU moms going through the same thing.”

Over the next 31 days, the babies grew stronger as the NICU staff prepared Dominique and her family for the transition from hospital to home.

“Bringing home a baby who had health issues can be scary because you’re suddenly all on your own without the assurance of having expert doctors and nurses right there,” Dominique said.

All Baylor Scott & White NICUs provide parents with an educational video on infant CPR and safety training to ensure families like Dominique’s are prepared for an emergency. That training saved Crew’s life.

One night after the twins were discharged from the NICU, Dominique awoke to Crew’s oxygen/heart monitor alarm going off. He wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. Remembering the CPR training video from the NICU, Dominique performed two rounds of CPR, bringing Crew back to life.

“When I went to him, he was just lifeless,” she said. “I’m so thankful they showed us that video. Without it, we would have lost him.”

Carter and Crew are now two years old and thriving. They enjoy playing outside and dancing. Dominique said that although they are twins, they have their own personalities.

“I’m just so appreciative of the NICU staff and everything they did for my boys,” Dominique said. “Without them, my son wouldn’t be here.”

To support the NICU in Waco, contact Jeremy Ksionda at 254.202.9553 or Jeremy.Ksionda@BSWHealth.org.