More Than a Clinic — Our Why
Up until 2016, I lived a pretty normal life. I had a good childhood, graduated from college with a Master's Degree, and was happy in my career. But then February 2016 happened, and my life forever changed. February 10, 2016, started off like any other day, except that I was 37 weeks pregnant, and my water broke at home. This pregnancy was extremely special to me, as I had experienced several miscarriages prior to this. My hopes of becoming a mother were fading, but then, in June 2015, I made it past 12 weeks, and I thought I was in the clear. I rushed to the hospital, where I was admitted because my first child was ready to make her debut. However, that excitement quickly turned into fear as I rushed into the emergency room for a C-section due to a missed diagnosis of vasa previa.
Tensley Marie-Lynn was born on February 11th, with no brain activity. She had gone without oxygen for over 7 minutes. I spent over two weeks in the NICU, having test after test done, only to be completely defeated by the results. Tensley lived for 21 days before she moved on to the next chapter of her life. In that moment, I never thought I would experience joy or happiness again. However, through supportive loved ones, grief therapy, and my family, I found a new "normal" without Tensley physically being with me.
Fast forward to August 2020, and I got a huge surprise—I was pregnant again, this time with another baby girl. This time, there was no excitement, just fear that I could potentially lose another child. At my 12-week appointment, I was told that my baby wasn't growing as she should be and that I should just sit and wait until the ultrasound revealed no heartbeat. My husband and I were in complete shock at how this fetal and maternal specialist spoke to us, and we were both determined to figure out why she wasn’t growing. My husband demanded we go to the University of Michigan for further tests. There, we were told I had a retroverted uterus, which could possibly explain why my baby wasn't growing as expected. The next day, I underwent a small procedure, and we were both hopeful that this little girl would continue to fight and prove all those doctors wrong. But less than two weeks later, I went to the hospital due to severe pain and was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome. I needed an emergency C-section. I couldn’t fathom that this was happening again, but this time, my baby girl was only 24 weeks. On February 8, 2021, Charley Ann was born and lived for 8 days in the NICU before she joined her sister. After losing Charley, I didn’t think I could ever experience joy again. Losing one child had almost broken me but losing another felt unbearable. However, with grief counseling and the support of my husband and family, I continued to find a new "normal" without both of my girls. They were never forgotten and left an imprint on my life.
Experiencing this trauma has changed me as a person and has made me even more determined and committed to helping children who face their own unique challenges. I am passionate about helping families cope and providing strategies and tools to help children live the best life possible.