Gunnar's Story   — melanie jackson, KY, USA

I was sixteen when we found out I was pregnant, but we were still excited. We did not know at the time what we were in for. I was due Feburary 5, 2000 with my first son. On Janurary 31, 2000 I was leaking. We thought all day it was urine, but finally I went to the hospital. They swabbed me and told me that my water was leaking. They admitted me and at 2:30 am my water completely broke. It was another 8 hours before the baby was born. We called him Gunnar and he was beautiful. I was young and this was my first baby and I had never been around children, but I knew something was wrong. I told the nurse that the baby would not stop grunting. She told me that "babies make noises" and I would have to get used to that. Three hours later another nurse and the pediatrician and my OB came in to tell me that my baby had Group B Strep and he was in grave danger and did not have long to live. They were sending a flight team from the children's hospital 150 miles away in hopes to save him. Completely shocked I agreed. People in blue flight suits came in and I signed papers scared to death. They told me that I could go in the morning to the hospital to see the baby and that my husband could drive up and meet them there which is what happened. When my husband got there the baby was in the NICU and had an IV inserted in his head and the nurses said that he was doing good. He stayed there for seven days and it all cleared up. Every church for 1000 miles prayed. Our son is now 6 years old and in kindergarten. He is thriving with minor effects from being infected by Group B strep. He has minor hearing loss in the right ear. He goes for a hearing test every four months. I have another son who is three years old and was safe because I made sure that I was on antibiotics and that my water was not broken too early. I am pregnant again and my urine is positive for Group B strep at 17 weeks so I am already on antibiotics. I wish everyone the best and I hope my story helped.