Jalen's Story   — Gabriela Foster, NV, USA

Here is my story... I did not feel my son Jalen kick for just one day. After a few hours, I felt very cold and had body chills all over my body. I started to feel horrible back pain and was not able to move. After a few hours I started bleeding and it was at that moment that I knew my son was gone. By the time I got to the hospital, I was in active labor with 105 fever. I was only 25 weeks. My son Jalen was born still and it wasn't until after a postpartum visit with my OBGYN that I found out that my son had died of an intra-uterine Strep B infection. A month before, I had rushed to the ER complaining of clear fluid for days. The nurse ran a swab test and told me I was fine. She said that I had an infection. No doctor saw me or test was ever done. Nurse told me that I had a yeast infection and the doctor said to go get Monistat over the counter. I cannot help to wonder that if the doctor would have come in to examine me and listened to me when I told the nurse that I did not have any symptoms of a yeast infection if my son would be alive today. If only the doctor would have taken the time to maybe run a culture to find out what type of bacterial infection I had, my son would still be alive today. If only..if ONLY.. This test is not done until 35-37 weeks but if the hospital told me I had an infection with no symptoms of yeast, why not take the time to test to find out what type of bacteria I had? I will never get my son back; I will never get the answer to my questions. The wound is fresh and I wish there was something I could have done. All the tests were normal… and now he is gone. According to my research, intra-uterine strep B is not very common. I'm angry and so hurt that maybe this could have been prevented. I hope in the future that there is a way to test for Strep B bacteria earlier than 35 weeks to prevent still borns. I have never felt such pain. I have two beautiful daughters and they keep me going everyday but I will never get my son Jalen Gabriel Foster back.. RIP 11/27/2012..