Roman's Story   — Roman Bosquez, TX, USA

On February 18, 2010 at 2:47 AM I gave birth to a handsome baby boy at 36 1/2 weeks gestation due to my water breaking at 7:00 AM that morning. When he came out we were both running a temperature and my son was retracting very badly and having some problems breathing so they quickly took him to the nursery and placed him under an oxygen hood. I was told that he would be under there for the maximum of 6 hours. If he did not began breathing better he would be placed in the NICU. Well, four hours later my room door opened and they brought in my baby ... I was told he was a fine, happy, healthy baby boy. He grunted a lot and did since he had been born. We had a lot of visitors all day but around 7:00 they took my baby for his evening assessment. He was brought back around 9:00 PM when I fed him and he quickly fell asleep. Around 11:00 PM he awoke crying softly. I attempted to feed him, but he would not eat so I rocked him back to sleep. An hour later he awoke again. I was sure that he was hungry then, but again he would not eat....he just grunted and cried a little...I then called the nursery. They came to the room and tried to get him to eat. When he didn't they gave me a bottle of formula and had me push the nipple onto the roof of his mouth and it squirted in his mouth kind of forcing him to swallow.. he did only half an ounce, but they said it was fine. He was running a small fever so then they took him to monitor him and brought him back for his next feeding at 6:00 AM. I attempted to feed him again and again he would not eat and he was still continuously grunting. Around 7 am he stopped breathing on me and after a few seconds regained his breath. Ten minutes later he did it again. I then called for a nurse and told her all that had been going on. By this time it was a new nurse and she seemed really concerned and and took him. As soon as she got out the door he completely stopped breathing and had to be brought back to, and was immedatley placed in the NICU. Not even 20 minutes later I was told that my son's results came back from his lab tests after he was born GBS + .. . and I was like okay ... how's that treated and they made it sound all so simple.. 12 days on antibotics, and if it causes meningitis 21 days. OH BOY did I wish it was that simple ... during the next couple of hours we had the NICU doctor, my son's doctor, my doctor, the chapel, social workers, case workers, and everyone come and talk to me about it and give me their sympathy...WOW ... when I finally got go see him he looked horrible...SOOO swollen and so many machines.. he looked nothing like the baby who left my arms a few hours ago.. I was so devastated... and told my so many people that there was so little hope for him that the infection is so bad and it has caused sepsis which is in the blood and is damaging all his organs. He was having several seizures and they were having to bag him to keep him alive. This went on for 4 days. Then they attempted to discuss the DNR (do not resuscitate) with us and they were just simply ready to give up on him. We told them no--that they were to do everything to keep him alive. The next day we were called to the NICU around 11:00 AM and told that he was placed on a very high pressure ventalator and that he could only remain on it for 20 minutes in order to for it not to blow holes in his lungs and that we should call all our family up there. They were trying to tell me this was it, if i wanted to just hold him while they turned it off. I then turned to God for more than I ever have in my entire life. I shouted and begged Him not to take my baby. I wanted to be his mom more than anything and that he deserved a chance. I asked him to take me instead. I have never felt the pain I felt that day. A few minutes later we asked about a blood tranfusion since it was the sepsis that was damaging all his organs.. They told us it was not possible because he was too small and had had too many seizures so he would not make it through it. We were asked to leave and wait in the waiting room. We then baptized him and waited in the waiting room for the doctor to speak with us. Once he got there he told us our LAST resort is a blood transfusion... we were like we just asked that. He told us yes, but that he probably wouldn't make it through and definitely wouldn't make it through the night. We said, of course, to do it. Some tried to talk us out of it..that enough is enough, but in my eyes that was God telling me he going to make it because first it was a no and then it was our last resort. Around 9:00 PM the doctor came and told us it was a success.... I jumped up thanked the Lord and just knew he was going to survive. The doctors were still skeptical but I felt it. The next days were up and down. I cried so much seing my baby go through so many tests, needles, IV\'s, an IV in the head several times, pic lines, brain monitors, catheters, and x-rays-- not to mention the seizures. The doctors told us he would never walk or talk and that we were going to be devastated when we finally got him home, but we were the ones that told them to keep him alive. Well, let me just tell you about the POWER of FAITH, PRAYER, AND OUR LORD ABOVE. After 22 days he came off the ventilator only to be placed back on the same day because he was so swollen and still had fluid in his lungs. There was a valve in his heart that was supposed to close shortly after birth but did not because he was so sick.... he was given medication to close it 2 different times but it didn\'t work. Well, surgery was planned but the day before they did his heart echo and IT WAS CLOSED. After those few days he came off the ventilator and was placed on oxygen. Once he started to receive actual food (my milk), his liver began to go down and a few days later he was eating out of bottle. A couple of days later he was taken off the oxygen and was breast feeding...they never expected him to leave the hospital without a feeding tube, oxygen, and poop bag... well, my dear Lord showed him His power... for several days back to back he showed them what they never thought. He disproved all of their theories and began to thrive.. 49 days in the NICU and we are now home and doing well, still on medication, but function and act like nothing ever happened.... So no matter what a doctor or medical staff tell you, never give up hope or faith cause the Lord is so AMAZING!!!! They all realized His power and my son is a miracle... HE SHOCKED THEM ALL--ONLY A COUPLE BELIEVED IN HIM!!!!