Life is unpredictable. I don’t know about you, but I always thought the really bad things in life only happened to “other” people. I’m not sure where that naïve thought came from and who those “other” people were, but I was positive nothing that bad could ever happen to MY family. 1,315 days. That’s how many days it’s been since part of my heart broke and it has never fully healed. I spent hundreds of those days searching for answers. Trying to comprehend how this happened and how to somehow go back in time and fix it all.
On December 7, 2011 I was at the hospital about to have my second baby. Before I became pregnant I had suffered through three miscarriages and then endured months of infertility appointments and high doses of fertility medicine. We were beyond thrilled to be having a son. Our first baby was now three years old and she was so excited to finally have a sibling.
My delivery with my daughter was chaos. My epidural had completely stopped working and I was, to put nicely, in a PANIC. (My apologies to my husband, all the nurses, and my doctor for things I may have said during her delivery!) I had prayed for months to have a calm delivery with my son and that my epidural would work this time. I was so grateful when it was done and began working so easily this time around. The entire day was spent calmly talking to my husband and mom about this sweet new spirit about to join our family.
Around 6 pm, I woke up from a nap and felt that it was time. I called in my nurse, and sure enough I was just about ready. My heart was racing and I couldn’t stop smiling. So many prayers were about to be answered and I couldn’t help but feel so grateful for my little family. With my husband by my side offering the sweetest words of support while holding my hand, I knew it was time for my son to be born. I pushed through two contractions and he was here.
Jaxton Ryan Worthy was born at 7:49 pm weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 18 inches long.
He was perfect. He had ten tiny little fingers, ten tiny little toes, and the sweetest cry. He had the strongest grasp as he held his Daddy’s finger during testing. He calmed instantly the moment they gave him to me. I kissed his forehead and snuggled him tight. I was in love. He was here. He was alive. He was his own person. He was healthy. Perfectly healthy.
The room quickly cleared out and we were left to bond to this beautiful new baby. He wasn’t a great eater and I was told it would come with time. He just wanted to snuggle. He had his first bath around 10 pm and was dressed in his very first outfit. He had so much blonde hair like his Daddy and my nurse spiked it up on top so he looked just like him. I melted when he came back. He didn’t look like a “newborn” to me. He looked like HIM. Exactly what he was supposed to look like. Sweetest little features that defined HIM. He smelled heavenly. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
We settled in for the night around 11:30 pm. We had just turned the lights off and were ready to get some sleep when Jaxton started squirming and making a small grunting noise. We tried to feed him and he wanted nothing to do with it. My nurse took him for observation and I think we called her every ten minutes for updates. They did an x-ray on him and they saw a small spot in his lungs, but nothing concrete enough for the pediatric doctor to come in or to have him admitted to the NICU. Early that morning he was finally admitted to the NICU for more observation. Everything in me went into shock.
I kept thinking any second the door would open and they would wheel in his little bed with him sleeping soundly and perfectly healthy. That never happened.
The NICU Neonatologist finally came in at 8 am. She called us into her office shortly after. She had an accent so strong I could hardly piece together what she was saying, let alone understand all the medical side of it. Her first sentence was, “Your son is in critical condition and most likely will not live”. She kept interrogatingly asking what I did during my pregnancy, what I took, what sickness I had. I MUST have been the reason my son was so sick. Through my tears and uncontrollable sobbing I kept saying I didn’t do anything. I was SO careful my entire pregnancy.
Her last words to us were that they were starting him on antibiotics to help fight whatever the infection was he had. They hoped to not have to put him on a ventilator, but it was a possibility. We wouldn’t be able to see him until they had finished. We went back to my room in shock. I was shaking and crying harder than I thought was possible. My husband and I said a prayer together and he held me until I calmed down a little. He went in the bathroom, hoping I couldn’t hear him, and called his dad. I’ve never heard my husband cry like that. He was the rock in our relationship. The calm one. The one who always KNEW things would work out and be ok. This time was different. This time he knew things were out of our hands. My heart broke a little more in that moment. Reality was starting to settle in. Maybe we would be “those” people that something horrible DID happen to.
We got the call around 10 am telling us we could come see him. We rang the bell to enter the NICU, signed our names, and spent the next five minutes scrubbing every single germ off our hands and arms. We quietly followed a nurse passing one tiny preemie after another. I kept thinking, “my baby is big and healthy, he isn’t early. He will be JUST fine. He has to be fine. Give him a day or two and he will be back in our arms and heading home to be with our family”.
Then the nursed stopped in front of the last bed in the row. She moved out of the way and there we saw our sweet little baby. He was hooked up to more monitors than any other infant in the NICU. He was on a ventilator causing his little body to shake rapidly. Even typing this, every part of me crumbles. My heart was broken. I knew this was bad. Very bad. We were told he was still in critical condition and had sepsis, a blood infection. They were waiting on the test results to tell them which main infection his poor little body was fighting and in the meantime he would be on three antibiotics.
We weren’t allowed to touch him, speak more than a whisper near him, or hold him. So we sat closely beside him. Silently sobbing for days. Every now and then I would quietly sneak a soft kiss to his forehead and whisper I love you to him. I can still vividly remember what that touch felt like and how he smelled.
The test results came back with devastating news. He had Group B Strep. I was completely unaware what it even was, how he could have gotten it, or that I had been tested for it during my pregnancy. I was tested at 33 weeks. My test result was negative so it was never brought back up. I never took the time to even look it up. I had NO idea what I had been tested for. The more I speak to other women the more I realize I was not alone in that ignorance. I wish more than anything I would have been more involved in my healthcare and more knowledgeable on each test done and all the possibilities of complications.
He would need to be in the NICU for at least 14 days at the very minimum if his body continued to respond to antibiotics. The place he was in in the NICU was one of the loudest spots possible. He was across from the bathroom, the door to the nurses break area, and next to him was an empty place so that often became the break circle for many nurses to relax during downtime. My husband and I sobbed almost the entire time we were there. We were told from Day 1 that any extra stimulation would cause him to suffer from pulmonary hypertension, which if it went too far there was no coming back from it and he wouldn’t make it. We felt so alone at times. We didn’t know who we could talk to and didn’t want to make those caring for our child angry with us for saying something. We failed him in that way.
We were his voice. We were the ones to speak for him when he couldn’t. I will live with that choice forever.
On day 5 the NICU was in chaos. The nurse assigned to our son was not in the right frame of mind to be caring for him. She was very short with us when we asked questions. She couldn’t see his IV’s very well and kept holding her glasses away from her eyes to try to see better. We were horrified. When running his blood tests, the respiratory therapist poked him over 10 times. When I got up the courage to ask through my sobs how many more times he would poke him. He chuckled and said, “until I get what I need”. This all felt like a horrible nightmare that could NOT possibly be happening at a hospital that was supposed to be one of the top NICUs.
We came back at 5 pm and the NICU had changed back to a quiet and calm atmosphere. Our son’s new nurse, Diane, was so sweet and kind to us and most importantly to HIM. She told us he was doing really well, still critical, but going in the right direction. He was losing water weight and his oxygen levels were getting much better. We breathed a sigh of relief.
We spent the evening sitting near him with a sense of peace for the first time. We finally had hope again that he could make it through this. Around 7 pm, my husband went out to update friends and family. I loved that quiet hour I had alone with my son. Even though I couldn’t hold him, I sang quietly in his ear the song I sing nightly to our daughter, “I am a Child of God”. I kissed him gently and he held my finger for a moment.
We had just gotten to my cousin’s home where we were staying, and were discussing all the events of the day. I smiled for the first time in five days. I felt calm again and knew we had a long road ahead, but we could get through it.
Then my husband’s phone rang.
“He’s taken a turn for the worse; you need to get here as soon as possible”. That sentence will haunt me for the rest of my life. We hit every single red light on our drive to the hospital. I have never felt my heart beating so hard. I said a million prayers hoping for a miracle.
We ran in to the hospital, down the long hall to the NICU, and were met by the Neonatologist working at the time. He told us Jaxton’s heart had suddenly stopped beating and they did CPR for 25 minutes and he came back, but it would most likely happen again and be worse each time it happened. We were told we had to make the decision to take him off life support. A decision NO parent should ever have to make.
Just like the first time we entered the NICU, we followed a nurse past all the preemie babies to the end of the row to our son. We were in complete shock when we saw our precious baby. So much of the swelling had gone to his little face during CPR. He no longer looked like himself. I knew the decision we had to make and my heart completely broke. My husband gave him a name and a blessing and then we somehow gave them permission to take him off life support. They had us wait in the “bonding room”, the room parents were allowed to stay in once their baby was about to leave the NICU and go home.
Diane brought him to me with tears falling down her cheeks. She placed him in my arms and I held him so tight. I never wanted to let go. I kept thinking he would start breathing on his own. I needed him to just breathe. To be ok. To stay here with us. To meet his big sister. How would we tell her he went to Heaven? How would we ever heal?
We sang him our song and prayed with him in our arms. Utah Share members came and were so kind to us. They will always hold a place in my heart. They made hand and foot molds that we will cherish forever. My sweet friend and photographer, Amber Rust, came to take pictures for us. She gave us a gift that means the world to us. He changed very quickly once off life support and she was so gentle in editing our pictures. She made him look perfect and gave us beautiful pictures to hang on our walls forever. No words can thank her enough for that.
The following days are a blur. Planning a funeral for your child is not ok. Ever. Every little detail sent me more over the edge than the last. Our parents and other family members were so wonderful and supportive. I don’t know how we would be where we are without them.
The days and months dragged after that. I was so lost. I didn’t know how we would heal and how we could find our “happy” again. I made the decision to buy a gift for Jaxton whenever we bought anything for our daughter, Brinlee. Every holiday or event we would buy him something and place it in a bin to donate on his first Birthday. My sweet friend, Holly, asked if our church could do their service project in honor of Jaxton. Having others remember your child is by far the most amazing feeling as a mother to an angel. Our church made over 100 blankets and 25 gift baskets for NICU families for us to deliver with the rest of our donations. Holly also talked me into putting what we were doing on Facebook and giving others the opportunity to donate as well. I was terrified. I did not want others to feel obligated to do something. The response was opposite than anything I created in my mind. For weeks, the donations kept coming. Our living room was bursting with them.
There is nothing that could have brought us more joy on his first Birthday than having that opportunity to deliver all of those donations to Primary Children’s Hospital. Since then we’ve done this every year on his Birthday or Angelversary. I’m so grateful for the joy felt during those darkest days and for the generosity of others to not only donate to the sweet children at the hospital, but to give us the opportunity to deliver it all in honor of our son.
My hopes with writing this post, are to inform every pregnant woman on Group B Strep and hopefully save sweet babies in honor of Jaxton.
Every pregnant woman SHOULD be tested between 35-37 weeks in pregnancy. The reasoning for that is to be as close to delivery as possible to get the most accurate result. I was tested at 33 weeks pregnant and I tested negative. I should have known that this was too early and my hope is all women WILL know better than I did and be on top of their testing. If you test positive you are given antibiotics during delivery to protect your newborn.
Approximately 25% of women test positive for Group B Strep during pregnancy (I don’t fall in that category, because I tested negative). There are two types of Group B Strep in newborns. Early Onset (what Jaxton had) and Late Onset. Group B Strep can cause Sepsis (a blood infection), Meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining of the brain), and Pneumonia (infection in the lungs).
Signs and symptoms to watch for in a newborn are a fever, difficulty feeding, irritability, lethargy, difficulty breathing, and/or bluish color to skin.
The CDC has a page with many explanations, facts, and treatment options. Read and share with every woman you know. Knowledge is power. Mothers, be your child’s voice when they can’t speak for themselves. Be aware of symptoms and notify your nurse or doctor immediately. http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/index.html
Stephanie is a Stay at Home Mom to 5 children, Brinlee, Angel Jaxton, Twins Madi & Sadie, and new baby Dawson. You can get a peek into her love for her family and positive outlook on life through her Instagram feed @stephanie_worthy
Comments
I am sitting at work in tears after reading your story. I had my baby girl on the 15th of June 2016. I tested positive for GBS at 36 weeks and was given the standard protocol antibiotics. She still got GBS. We stayed for three weeks in the Georgetown NICU. “You have a very, very, sick baby”. I will never forget those words. She lived…she seems fine…so far. Those were the worst days of my life. I felt so helpless. I am crying for you and your family. For Jaxton. I am so so sorry. I know I am a random internet stranger, but you will be in my thoughts and prayers. My heart goes out to you…
TEAR,S ARE FALLING SO ,I CAN NOT COMPRHEND THE HURT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WENT THROUGH,DURING THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE ,I REALLY ENJOY YOU ALL AT OUR WARD SUCH A KIND AND LOVING FAMILY. YOU ARE BLESSED. I KNOW WITH ALL MY HEART HE IS YOUR ANGEL BESIDE YOU AND YOU WILL UNITE WITH HIM AGAIN .I SEND ALL MY LOVE AND ALL PRAYERS,I KNOW THAT THINGS IN OUR LIVES ARE SOME TIMES NOT UNDERSTOOD,GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY JUDYPOWELL
What an amazing story and a heartbreaking one I wish they did not have to go through. I had to comment because I have a 3 month old boy and they also told me I was Group B strep positive.. but they just told me it was something common that pregnant women can get and if I had it then they just give me antibiotics throughout until delivery.. I had no idea it would cause sepsis or meningitis… I said a prayer for you and I hope if you decide to try again it will be a better experience for everyone!! My thoughts are with you!!
I was crying reading this story. I’m so sorry for your loss. My first son was sent home unknowing anything was wrong until I found him slightly blue around his lips and not responding to me. I rushed him to the hospital and he also I guess had a low grade fever. We were transferred to another hospital where his breathing stopped too many times to count and turned blue each time. Once again transferred to another hospital this time to Boston Children’s NICU. Everything was touch and go, everything was a blur. Dr’s didn’t know what was wrong but started him on every single antibiotic possible. We spent months in the hospital with one step forward three steps backwards. I was young, didn’t know what was really going on. It was too much for me to physically take I think I numbed myself.
I felt as if I was the only one, that this is so rare and I’m the only one but I’ve found a Facebook group with other mama’s in my area who have also faced this as well. My son fought a tough battle and has lasting effects of having Meningitis. I still don’t know when I was tested, but I believe I may have also been tested too soon.
Your strong to share your story, I was so afraid to share mine but the Facebook group has helped me know I am not alone.
Hello! I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your son! His story is very similar to the story of my son Easton (who we were debating naming Jaxton…crazy!). I was tested for GBS at 35 weeks and results were negative, just as they had been for my 2 previous pregnancies. Easton was born March 22, 2013 at 10:51pm, at 37 weeks 6 days and weighed 9 lbs 9 oz and was 22 in long! He was a big boy, and because of that he had to have his blood sugar tested and they took him for monitoring because he seemed to have some trouble transitioning! I honestly believe this may have made the difference in him being diagnosed as early as he was!! About 1:30 in the morning, they let me nurse him but still wanted to keep him for some observation, so I left him in the nursery and went back to my room to get some sleep. At 6 am his nurses and doctors started to get concerned. He was having a hard time breathing and his temperature was rising….so they were going to airlift him to St. Louis and admit him to the NICU (it was the closest to our town). Well the helicopter was grounded because of an incoming snow storm, so the Children’s Hospital sent an ambulance. About 7 pm that night they loaded up my sweet baby boy and started the 2 hour drive. This is where my son’s story is a little different than yours. The nurses is the NICU had my husband and I involved as soon as we arrived. We were changing diapers, holding him, even among all the tubes, and we were talking and interacting with him!! Test results came back and Easton was GBS septic! He spent 12 days in the NICU on powerful antibiotics and thankfully recovered and was able to go home. He received amazing care from the nurses and doctors! I knew of GBS before this happened, but not how serious it could be!! I was tested at 35 weeks and some how was carrying GBS a few short days later! I am so sorry for what you went through and thabk you for sharing your story!
I’m so, so sorry for your loss. I too tested negative for GBS and then my third baby was born and quickly shuttled to the NICU for respiratory difficulty; she was diagnosed with GBS pneumonia and quickly started on several antibiotics. We had a few scary days in the NICU, and then she improved and now is a perfectly healthy 5month old. I cannot imagine the pain you have experienced; you are so strong and truly remarkable. I wish all the happiness and love for you and your family going forward. Your kids are lucky to have such a courageous mom.
So sorry to hear about your loss. This story is devastating and hits close to home for me as I have a 3 month old son. I couldn’t imagine having to go through this. You are very strong, and courageous for sharing your story to help others.
Stephanie and Ryan,
I saw this posted by Christy Etheredge and just finished reading Jaxton’s Story. I am so very sorry for your loss. Having been a labor & delivery nurse for 26 years, I can tell you I’ve taken care of couples in similar situations as yours and they remain in my heart always. It’s never easy. As nurses, our primary goal is to assist new parents as they bring new life into the world and then care for them and teach them the most important things they need to know before going home. While it is usually a joyful, yet exhausting time for most new parents, there are the infrequent instances when things don’t go as planned and joy becomes agony and grief. Though we acknowledge the fact that we don’t know exactly how you feel, nurses DO grieve with you. We want to make it all better. After all, that’s what nurses are supposed to do, right? But in these circumstances, the only thing we can do is be with you and let you grieve, let you hold your little one, take those precious pictures, and give you a hug. And then there’s the fact that mother nature will still produce milk for the little one who is no longer there to empty it. So not fair! But you were able to turn a devastating experience into something positive by donating all those gifts to other NICU families. How wonderful! Your story was inspiring and I thank you for putting your feelings into words so others can share your thoughts. And though I’m sure you still feel the sorrow while here on Earth, how wonderful it is to know that because of the Plan of Salvation Jaxton will be reunited with your family eternally. May you and your family continue to be comforted by the Holy Spirit. In Christ’s love, Michelle Butler.