"I found out I was pregnant January 2008. I was scared, as I was doing my pregnancy alone, well, my mom went to all my appointments with me..."

Everything was normal, went for my 19 week ultrasound, and found out he was a he! A few days later is when my world crashed down. My doctor called me at work (I worked in a pediatric office) and mentioned "echogenic bowels". He immediately wanted me in for blood work.

My blood work came back and the Igg and Igm were both positive...I had NO idea what that meant, so I researched and didn't fully understand. I met with a very rude doctor that didn't help, then another who told me an amnio was necessary. Well not even 4 days later at a high risk hospital in Detroit, I found out my son was swimming in poison...it came back cmv positive. I cried. The very worst part was he had no amniotic fluid for a few months. They tried to get me to medically terminate, every week at the ultrasound that is all they brought up, my thought was even with how bad things could be, he is still fighting, so I couldn't give up on him, it was up to him and GOD. Words that I grew accustomed to were "ascites", "severely anemic", "echogenic bowels", "enlarged liver, spleen, heart, umbilica vein", "hydrops" , "olighydraminos", "calcification's". I was told he would not be able to hear, not see, not be self sufficient, he would probably be in a wheelchair and not have a fulfilling life...well most likely, because no one knew the outcome of the virus, as no doctor had dealt with CMV in a pregnant woman before.

I had to go every week for an ultrasound, every week was worse and worse. They thought he was going to die in utero, but the thought of them medically terminating, when everything could possibly turn out okay, just made me cling to that even though as they said was very rare. So I jumped online and found a website on yahoo for cmv moms. I went on a pregnant website to try to find help. I ended up in contact with an awesome doctor that specializes in pregnant women with cmv, Dr. Stuart Adler. I emailed him, and would you know he replied. He gave me his number and when I called, he spoke to me and allowed me to get my doctor to talk to him about ordering "cytogam". I had 2 IV infusions of it. Dr. Adler recommended that my baby be on the Gangcyclovir once born if his urine tested positive for CMV. Dr. Stuart Adler, to me was a GOD send, I am forever grateful for his help, and compassion to help me.

From week 21 I was told my baby could be taken out at any time, so I had to give myself steroid shots, so his lungs would be developed enough to breath. Every week I was told that, and thankfully he made it to 37 weeks.

My baby was born at 37 weeks, due to his heart rate slowing with labor an emergency Cesarean was done. He had microcephally, IUGR, he had purple blotches all over him. He was born with 10,000 platelets (normal is over 100,000) I was so scared, he was 4lbs 9oz, 17.5" long. He was born 08/30/08.

Right now, May 31, 2010, my son is almost 2 years old, he can walk, talk, he is doing everything they said he wouldn't.The only "issue" I can say is eating, he is mainly on a bottle, and has no interest in many foods, however right now he is starting to eat macaroni noodles, and cheese puffs, and jar baby food, but mainly bottles. However with all the odds that were against him, I can handle this! I did do gancyclovir, let me tell you that was hard. They started it when he was about a week old, and he was on it for 6 weeks. He had a picc line and lived in the SCN (special care nursery) for 7 weeks of his life. I drove every single day from Canton, MI to Detroit, MI.

He finally came home in October 2008. I understand that not every case turns out this way, I am so very lucky. Have faith and hope, everything is given to us for a reason. My son opened my eyes and I am so very lucky with how he is growing. We have every 6 months hearing tests and yearly eye exams, for hearing loss is the most common side effects of this nasty virus. He was supposed to go yearly to a developmental clinic to watch him develop, however with how his is developing, I stopped. There are no words that will make it better, but talking to people that know what its like was helpful, even though I found them further along in my pregnancy, I am willing to listen, support, and help however I can. We HAVE to stop this virus!

- Submitted by his mother, Erin