The amazing Kaye Parker. Kaye is mom to identical twin boys William (pictured - 3) and Tyler, who passed away due to complications from Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). She was very sick throughout her pregnancy and by her second trimester, was measuring very large for dates with her boys and was painfully suffering from Polyhydraminos (excess amniotic fluid). Kaye searched for answers with her medical team, and they eventually referred her to a hospital in Auckland where she was diagnosed with TTTS at 19 weeks. She was referred for laser ablation surgery and drainage of fluid, both of which were successful. At 22 weeks she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and was told that she might have to deliver, and her boys would not be able to survive. The goal was to get them to at least 24 weeks and 500 grams before delivery. At 23 weeks they were both over 600 grams and if they had to deliver they'd attempt to save them. Shortly after, her suspected pre-eclampsia went away, leading doctors to believe it may have been a mirror syndrome related to her laser surgery. Everything was going well from then until 27 weeks. Kaye had a midwife appointment on the 5th of January, where there were two heartbeats, and everything was fine. Two days later she had a scan and learned that her son Tyler's heart had stopped. William had suffered from increased blood flow and enlarged ventricles in his brain due to Tyler's passing. They booked her for an MRI and the morning of, she went into labor at just under 30 weeks. The boys were born via emergency cesarean with William needing forceps assistance and weighing 1.6 kilos and Tyler weighing just 935 grams. William had to spend the next 10 weeks in the NICU and had a difficult journey learning to grow and breathe and eat on his own. He coded completely and had to brought back to life just as his brother Tyler was being buried. Kaye has a had an understandably difficult emotional recovery. Physically, she has struggled with thyroid and iron issues since the birth of her boys. She is hoping that her participation in the project will help mark the start of a new, positive and healthy beginning for herself and William.
Mirror Syndrome
Heather Kimble
The incredible Heather Kimble. Mother to Hannah Sue, born sleeping at 24 weeks due to fatal complications from Turner Syndrome. Heather is adjusting to motherhood without her child. She found out on Labor Day weekend that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy had been textbook perfection until she went in for her 20-week ultrasound to determine the gender. That's when they found something wrong, and it was a whirlwind from there. Hannah was given a fatal diagnosis of Turner Syndrome and doctors urged her to terminate. She and her husband don't believe in abortion and sought second opinions instead. There was nothing they could do so Heather made the best of her time with her daughter and did all the things she could, all the things she'd hoped to do with Hannah earth side. They went to see Santa Claus and ate foods children enjoy. Hannah passed away on December 23rd, and Heather had to have an emergency cesarean due to concerns for toxicity and mirror syndrome. Heather started to have the onset of mirror syndrome but it quickly subsided, and her recovery was smooth. Hannah's version of Turner Syndrome was severe, she was missing her X chromosome, a massive cystic hygroma, a hole in her heart, and her lungs were not developing. About 99% of babies diagnosed in utero with Turner syndrome are miscarried or stillborn. About 1 out of every 2,000 live births of baby girls are affected by Turner Syndrome. Due to the size of Hannah's cystic hygroma, Heather had to have a classic, vertical incision on her uterus meaning that any future babies will have to be delivered surgically to prevent uterine rupture. Heather got to spend two days with her baby girl, from her birth until Christmas Day. She chose to participate in the project because she feels loss is such a taboo subject, and she wants mothers of loss to know that YOU ARE STILL A MOTHER.