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Ryan's Story
"My name is Lauren and my fiance's name is Justin..."
My fiance was 19 and I was 16 when our son was born on July 16, 2010. When I was 36 weeks pregnant and 2 cm dialated, my OB/GYN told me that she wanted to do an ultrasound and a stress test because I was measuring small. Once we did these tests we found out my little boy was stressed, breach and about 4 lbs 8 ozs. My doctor decided to do an emergency c-section two days later.
Our little boy, Ryan Charles, was born 4 lbs 6 ozs and 17 1/2 inches long. A couple of hours after his birth we found out he had to have a feeding tube that went through his nose into his stomach because he was so small. Also he was diagnosed with jaundice and stayed in the hospital for a week after his birth.
The doctor informed us that his head was measuring small and he had some red spots. They tested him for CMV and it came back positive. This was the first time I ever had heard of CMV. Ryan failed 3 hearing tests and they did some more advanced tests. He has a severe to profound hearing loss and he has hearing aids but they do not work for him and we are in the proccess of doing the steps for the cochlear implants.
We have recently discovered that his head is still small and the doctor says he will have a mental handicap. Now at 8 months old he is eating great but he can not hold his head up or sit up so he has started physical therapy. We are still dicovering things that the virus has effected. Something that is so awful and effects a child so strongly should be more well known. I will never give up on my son no matter how bad the virus has affected him.
I hope something can be done about this virus.
- Shared by his mother, Lauren