Christmas miracle comes early
by Karin L. Nauber
 |
| For the first two months of Jesse's life he was supported by tubes and was constantly monitored. Above, Miriam held him on his second day of life. |
Imagine holding a little over a pound of butter in your hand. It isn't very heavy is it? It fact, it probably feels like holding next to nothing.
Now imagine that little over a pound is your newborn baby who has been born eight weeks early.
Miriam Collom of Hewitt does not have to imagine what this is like because she has lived it.
Miriam was seven months pregnant when the unthinkable happened. She went to a routine ultrasound appointment at her doctor in St. Cloud on September 20 and things were not right.
"Jesse's blood supply through the umbilical cord was completely cut off. There was also no amniotic fluid around him at all," said Miriam.
Miriam underwent an emergency C-section.
Jesse was in level 3 cardiac arrest when he was born.
"They told me he was born dead," Miriam said, a slight hitch in her voice as she thinks back to that day.
Miraculously, the doctors and nurses were able to bring Jesse back to life. Miriam said the nurses were all crying.
She had her son while there was a tornado warning in St. Cloud at the time. Perhaps the forewarning of that storm was also a forewarning to Miriam of the trials and storms of the next couple of months for her and Jesse.
For nine agonizing hours after Jesse's birth, Miriam was not able to see him.
"Gestationally Jesse was only four months old," said Miriam.
He also weighed 1 pound, 9.5 ounces and was 12 inches long.
Miriam was able to hold Jesse the day after his birth and then not again for almost a month and a half.
 |
| Miriam and Jesse are home now and both are doing well. |
One of the hardest parts for Miriam was going to the hospital and knowing she couldn't bring her tiny baby home with her.
"It was also hard to go to the hospital and not be able to hold him. Eventually, I gave up counting the number of days because it was just too hard," she said.
"I had Jesse the week after I started my job as the Hewitt city clerk. The day I had him was the big budget meeting," Miriam reflected. "It's funny how things can take a back seat when your baby's life is at stake."
And yet, a successful 90 day review by the Hewitt City Council shows Miriam's dedication to do things right.
On November 19, the day that Jesse was actually due to be born, Miriam was able to bring him home.
"It has been rough. Jesse has been back in the hospital two times since we came home," she said.
Jesse has some challenges in health because of his size. He is currently 4 pounds, 4.5 ounces, but he can eat normally and doesn't have special equipment that he has to be hooked up to at home.
"I expected all sorts of machines and monitors when we came home, but he doesn't need any of that and I am just fine with that," said Miriam.
She does have to check his temperature every three hours when she feeds him and she has to give him eye drops every day.
"He's on a very high calorie form of Similac to help him get bigger," she said.
"He's growing way too fast and he's only four pounds," said Miriam.
Another miracle in Jesse's life was an eye problem which resulted from his stressful birth. A surgery had been scheduled to help correct the problem a few weeks ago. But miraculously, the surgery did not need to be performed because it self-corrected itself. The problem would have resulted in cataracts.
Jesse is doing very well right now, said Miriam. She was a little disappointed that they missed seeing Santa Claus in Hewitt due to an appointment at the hospital. But, who knows, maybe Santa will visit Miriam and her little miracle for Christmas yet.