Miracles Do Happen and It Happened to Us

It’s been almost ten weeks out of the Hospital and my 1-year-old son is so far doing great.

 He spent a total of 5 weeks in three different hospitals. We were initially admitted at the Wapenamanda Rural Health Centre (in Enga Province) for a week, and because new symptoms developed, he got referred to the nearest hospital.

The Mt Hagen General Hospital is the Major referral hospital for the Highlands Region. In Hagen, he was kept Nil by mouth, had received 16 units of blood transfusions, was connected to the oxygen and he was near death almost 6 times. I never closed my eys, for the fear that he might go off.

My baby recieving his 16th unit of blood transfusion while waiting for the Medivac team to arrive

We were joined later by his dad a night later. Dwayne was looked after by the hard working pediatric team and the pediatric Surgical team. My baby was still hemorrhaging internally, that was his major symptom. The doctors admitted it was their first time to manage such conddtion but were very helpfull, surpotive and dedicated the whole time we were in Hagen. He’s blood results showed he had high white cell count and the haemoglobin was low as 5gm% which was both abnormal.  The professional team could not find a confirm diagnosis for Dwayne.

Mr and Mrs Kom, both community health workers and my friends helped nurse Dwayne

In the meantime, Dwayne was very pale, and all looked cyanotic.He’s temperature was always below 35 degree celsus. It never went up above that. One seniour pediatric nurse told me she had been working for 30 years and never nursed any patient with such condition. At least they were honest and I realy appreciated that.I admit he looked clinically well after the transfuisons and he can fight off the nurses .But when he bleeds, he just dramatically goes blue.

Dwayne in Mt Hagen General Hospital,hooked on Oxgen. Ten hours after the abdominal operation

On the 3rd day of admission, it was decided my 1 year 3 months old baby would under ago an exploration laparotomy surgery to establish the cause of the internal bleeding. The operation was a success but the news was very devastating to my little family. The surgeons said they found nothing. I broke down, all tears came flooding out from my tear ducts. I knew in my heart that Dwayne’s condition was gradually declining and Rod and I had to make a decision realy soon or we would lose him. He was given supportive management care and antibiotics.

After extensive discussion with the respective doctors, we agreed we would have to medevac our baby to Port Moresby General Hospital, the country’s major hospital. Dwayne was too sick to get on the normal flights, so we decided to hire International SOS to do the medevac’ing.Rodney (my husband) and our than 5-year-old son flew in to POM to do the necessary arrangement for the medevac. On Day 5, Dwayne and I were finally air lifted on the air-ambulance to Port Moresby.

The ISOS's paramedic Mark preparing Dwayne for the trip.

Escorted by Dr Dobunaba and Paramedic Mark to the waiting ambulance.

The waiting ambulance.

 After an hour 30 minutes, we finally arrived at Port Moresby Jackson’s airport, we got off and we were immediately whisked off to the major hospital. At POMGEN, we were taken directly to The Children’s Ward were the Doctors were expecting my baby. I was relieved to see some familiar faces that were known to us.It was indeed a great relief.

Friday night at POMGEN, our baby was hemorrhaging profusely through till Saturday morning. Saturday morning, Rodney and I, being health workers ourselves, took things onto our own hands and attended to our baby while waiting for the doctors to come. We searched for his veins and couldn’t find any, Rod shaved his (Dwaynes’s) head and couldn’t see any visible vein, our baby was dying slowly and we knew it. I was begging Rodney to do some thing for our baby. There was only one Nursing sister taking care of 30 beds. We couldn’t rely on her. So I suggested to Rodney to do a Intraosseous Infusion , which he successfully did for his blood transfusion. But then, the transfusion was dropping at a very slow rate. Dwayne needed a super urgent blood transfusion. If he was to leave he had to have that transfusion and fast. The signs on Dwayne were obvious; he was not going to make it unless we get him a good vein to run the blood fast.The doctors rushed in to attend t little Dwayne.

Being a nursing sister and then seeing this was heart wrenching and far more torturing for me. “Mommy! Daddy!” were only a whisper yet we heard him loud and clear. The Peadiatrican ordered little Dwayne be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. In ICU, the anaesthetic known to us performed a Central Line cut down or CVP on his neck. Our last hope of keeping Dwayne alive. The blood transfusion line was connected and Dwayne got his transfusion. A great relief. When will this stop? I asked knowing well no one knew the answer. The first one week in ICU was the same, no improvement; his vitals were declining and at times stable.  He was hooked on oxygen, still nil by mouth, looked pale and lifeless on the bed. That was not my baby. He does not stay still, he is a hyperactive little boy.
By Sunday morning (day 7 in ICU), our baby showed signs of fighting his last fight. Rod could not take it well, so I gently asked him to go away and let the doctors do their job. I later joined him at the corner, and hugged him so tightly. We knew our baby was going to leave us any time today. The vitals were declining and he looked pale as the sheet he was lying on. He was still getting blood transfusion though. Rodney and I held hands and prayed and released our baby. We asked God to take him if it was his will. Or allow him to stay with us if he has a plan for Dwayne. That was the hardest prayer Rod and I ever made.

 For the first time in two weeks, I felt so at peace. That afternoon, I was at the car park, when my brother asked me to go back to the ward. I walked back to the Intensive Care Unit but at a slow pace, surprised I was so much at peace and light-hearted with myself. I entered the room and found Rodney crying. Obviously the vitals were defiantly not good, and Dwayne was now gasping for air despite on oxygen. Rod asked me betwenn tears to tell him to go and be with the ittle angles. Tears started to build up again…I broke down and cried and between sobs gently whispered into our baby’s ears and asked him to go in peace and become one of the angels. I told him to take care of us back here. I told him he was much stronger than his daddy and I. I also told him he was a great fighter and our little hero. Rod and I watched helplessly as the Nurse was doing her job fighting back her own tears.

The same night Rodney and I talked and decided we were going to increment our baby’s body, and keep the ashes to remind us of his strength. We were planning a party to celebrate his one year 3 months life on earth.we did not want to do our melanesioan way of mourning a death. We wanted it to be a happy memorable funeral for our baby.

Dwayne fighting for his life in Intensive Care Unit,POM GEN

We called and texted messaged all our family members and friends that Dwayne was not doing well, and that we had released him. And that they should do the same. Allow him to rest finally.He was in so much pain and went through so much agony for his age. We reminded them that he was only mere baby. Some received the messages with mixed emotions said they will continue to pray.

Next morning (Monday, day 9 in ICU), at around 3 am, Dwayne woke me up, calling in his husky little voice, ‘‘Mommy! Mommy! ’I instantly sat up from the chair and looked up to the machines, all his vitals were back to normal, and he was struggling to remove all the tubes he was tangled in and wanted to sit up.I recognised strenght in his voice. I looked around me to see if the night nurses were around to see what i had just seen. But they (the Nurses) were busy with other patient.

Dwayne Ivan Itaki had turned the corner that glorious morning. We believed then that he was going to make it out alive. Our faith had restored our son’s health. Gradually as the days passed, all the symptoms were subsiding; the oxygen was switched off, machines switched off and the cords removed. He was allowed to have sips of milk only, his hemorrhaging was gradually reducing. But he still had the Central Venous Line intact.  After two weeks in ICU, Dwayne was moved back to The Children’s Ward another week there and finally Dwayne got discharged.

The pediatricians believe my baby has Pseudo membrane Colitis . But they also have two other differential diagnoses which possible can occur. To confirm and exclude all these probable diagnosis, we have to take Dwayne for investigation overseas to get a confirm diagnosis. If what the pediatrician here thinks is confirmed, then our baby is the first reported case documented in Papua New Guinea .

Spiritually writing,when we were in Mt Hagen General Hospital, i saw my family go through what Job went through in the Old testiment (in the Bible) ( You can read Job’s story in the book of JOB 1-42). So we gave our most valuable things to people who had helped Dwayne by donating thier blood. I even gave my newly built house away. When in POM ICU,I realized we were prepared to give our valuables and yet the most valubale part of us we still kept, so we then released him in joined prayer between Rodney and I. Thats when another thought too came to mind about another story in the old testiment about Abraham and Issac . Even though Abraham had one son, he was graciously willing to give his only son to God as a sacrifise. (Abraham had two sons from two different women, Read story In the Book of Genesis 21-22)So i thought back to myself, Abraham had one son (from sarah) and was willing to offer his son,I have two sons. When Dwayne was gradually recovering i thought of Samuel’s story, also in the Old Testiment (in the Bible).(you can read samuels story in the book of 1 samuel 1-3).

Today our baby is a year 6 months old and he is doing great. He has every second week medical checks and he is now enjoying full normal diet. Dwayne’s situation has changed our lives for good, even our spiritual life too. Rodney and I appreciate our two children more than ever before and love them even more each day. Little Dwayne is our miracle baby. He is not only our miracle baby; he is every body’s testimony to share.

Our little Hero,Our Miracle baby Dwayne @ 1 year 6 months

I want to make sure to thank everyone and give them an update for being so kind, loving and supportive. The combined prayers from PNG and around the world has made a little boy live today.

We believe God has a plan for him and he will be raised up to full fill that plan and duty. We pray every day to God to give us guidance to raise this child. We know he is not our son in spirit. He story is of Samuel. Again, thank you is all I can offer to those who have helped, loved, and supported us. We only pray that God will continue to bless you all even more.

All our prayers have been answered. Ten weeks after being discharged and little Dwayne’s strength continue to amaze us. Another day older, another year cuter and more vocal than ever.

 

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