Harrison Kelley

I had a perfectly uneventful pregnancy... normal doctor visits the whole time. I had a lot of false labor pains and prematurely went to the hospital because I was scared, as this was my first child. They told me I was dialated to a four but that I wasn't dialating anymore and they wanted to send me home. They must have sensed that I really didn't want to go home, just to have to come back in the morning, so they let me sleep.

At about four in the morning they gave me patosin to dialate my cervix and a sleep aid so I could gain some much needed rest. At approximately six thirty that same morning the Dr. came in and woke me up. She checked my cervix and decided to break my water. When she broke my water I began to bleed profusely. I asked if this was normal, the only answer I got was "no". The next moment I was being wheeled into the OR, stripped naked, and strapped to an operating table. My husband was dressed in scrubs, but never got to enter the OR. I kept asking, "Is my baby ok??" but no one would answer me. I know now why they wouldn't answer me. There wasn't time to answer and they didn't really know for sure if he was ok or not.

Then they put me to sleep and I woke up with no baby in my belly four hours later. He survived. They doctor came in a told me he had had vasa previa and was very lucky to be alive, though I couldn't see him for a while as he was in the ICU. He had two blood transfusions and was in an oxygen tent. I got to hold him for the first time 12 hours after he had been born. He has no mental handicaps or physical problems, and we know how lucky we are to even have him here. My heart goes out to all of the mothers who have lost their little angels. I can't even imagine not having Harrison here today. I have enclosed pictures from the hours after his birth and one recent photo of my miracle baby. Thank you for all you are doing to inform the world about vasa previa. Most of us have no idea we even carry the disease and when we find out it is often too late.

Thanks again,
~ Angela Kelley and Jon Kelley and Harrison Kelley