About two months – and a number of tests – later, Ann and her husband, Dan, were touring the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Geisinger’s Janet Weis Children’s Hospital and were learning some of the problems a premature baby could have – including blindness, respiratory distress, anemia, heart or brain problems, disabilities and more. Soon after, they were told their baby would have a better chance of surviving outside the womb than inside. “We were surrounded by prayers,” Ann remembers, “and we had the most amazing feeling. Both of us felt very good. We knew we were where we were supposed to be.” “Walking through the NICU helped them to mentally prepare for having such a premature baby. They were able to see babies at different stages of prematurity and knew that they may be facing this type of situation very soon,” says James Cook, MD, director of neonatology at the children’s hospital. He adds that they also were able to see the state-of-the-art equipment the children’s hospital had to help premature infants – including isolette incubators, resuscitators and specialized monitors, all of which were purchased with Children’s Miracle Network funds. Still, the parents knew their young daughter would have a long road ahead of her if she was going to survive the complications of her prematurity – and that road would begin the moment she was born. She was transferred through a pass-through window between the delivery room and NICU, where a number of caregivers immediately began to work on the tiny baby. “There were people establishing an airway and preparing surfactant to help her breathe, others behind them preparing further treatments and others monitoring and documenting her vital signs,” Dr. Cook says. “And all of this happened immediately.” Ann says her “heart dropped” when a doctor came in less than a half-hour later, thinking that it may be too soon for good news. But Megan was stable. For the first time, Ann and Dan could see their new daughter. “It’s not the way you want to see your baby,” Ann says. “It’s not anything you could ever imagine. It was amazing to see these little, teeny hands. There weren’t fingers; there were just buds. And her eyes were fused shut.” Retinopathy of prematurity, a common and potentially serious eye problem for premature infants, was probably her biggest hurdle, Dr. Cook says. She also was struggling with underdeveloped lungs, but they showed some signs of improvement in less than a week. That’s when Dr. Cook told Ann and Dan that he was planning to take Megan off the ventilator, which, Ann says, had become the parents’ “security blanket.” “Dr. Cook said, ‘Ann, just because she’s small, are you going to hold her back?’ Those words rung in my head and I’ve never forgotten them,” Ann says. They still weren’t able to hold their baby, but that day, they were able to hear her cry for the first time – a sound no louder than a kitten’s meow. Megan was able to stay off the ventilator for more than two weeks before she needed help breathing again. In addition, she was suffering from low blood pressure, a decreased level of blood glucose, gastroesophageal reflux, a feeding intolerance, a Vitamin A deficiency and more. She also needed laser surgery to repair the retinopathy of prematurity. Ann and Dan say they never knew what to expect during Megan’s 97-day stay. The “roller coaster” of emotions included both highs – when, they say, you could feel almost too confident – and lows, when they hoped and prayed for her to pull through. Fortunately, they were able to be by her side almost every day. After week five, they were finally able to hold her for the first time. Big sister Allison also helped Megan by coloring drawings that were hung on the isolette and, like her parents had done earlier, learning the steps Megan would have to go through before she could come home. Throughout it all, Ann says, they were relieved to live so close to a state-of-the-art facility and knew that their daughter was in good hands. “It’s our child, but it’s like it’s also theirs,” Ann says. “They were with her all the time. They cared for her but taught us how to care for her as well.” Megan was able to come home on Ann’s birthday more than three months after entering the NICU. She still needed a number of medications, however, and was connected to an apnea monitor to ensure she was breathing properly. “We were always worried about the monitor going off,” Dan smiles. “We didn’t sleep a peaceful night.” Megan’s progression would help to change that before too long, though. Today, the healthy and happy four-year-old likes ballet and gymnastics – just like big sister Allison – and is more than happy to show her jumping abilities, something that seemed impossible not too long ago. “She’s met some milestones we never thought she’d meet,” Ann says. “I tell people she’s built on prayers and God’s help. He’s the one that led us to Geisinger and He’s the one who provided everything.” Meet Megan during the annual Children's Miracle Network at Geisinger Celebration June 2 and 3 on WYOU 22. | 
