Michael David Brock
October 13,2006 – October 26, 2006
6lbs. 2ozs.and 19.5 inches long
My son's name was Michael David Brock and he was diagnosed with
amniotic band syndrome causing anencephaly.
I found out I was pregnant the first week of February 2006 and was
so excited. He was planned. I have three other healthy children and
didn't think anything would go wrong with this pregnancy either.
Everything seemed to be going well.
We had an ultrasound at 10 weeks because I was measuring bigger than
10 weeks, but the baby looked great and we were right on schedule.
He was due October 22, 2006.
Well, when we got home from ultrasound that night, I started bleeding
and went to hospital. They told me I was miscarrying. I was devastated
and went home to miscarry, but never did. Michael was a fighter. At the
12-week ultrasound, they told me I had placenta previa but the baby was
still looking great, nothing wrong.
I started to pick out how I was going to do his room and everything.
Well, at 16 weeks, I went to have a check up and an AFP test done. I didn't
think anything of it. A week later, they called and told me something was wrong,
the test was reading high and the baby probably had Spina Bifida. I freaked out
thinking: "oh my god! What did I do wrong to cause something to be wrong with
my child?" The doctor scheduled me for an ultrasound the next morning (the
longest wait I ever had to go through). I went in and they started scanning me
and they told me he was a boy. There were no signs of Spina Bifida, so we thought
we were ok and the test was wrong. Well then she went and looked at Michael's head
and saw there was a large knot or tissue coming out of his forehead. She called
in the doctor.
This was May 22, 2006.
The doctor told me not to panic and scheduled me to see a specialist the very
next day. Again a very long wait for us and an emotional one too.
So the next morning, May 23,2006, we went in to see a specialist. The tech
started to scan me and confirmed that the baby was a boy and that he did have
something on his head. She went to get the doctor, came in and did another scan.
Then the worst news came, that no mother should have to hear. They told me he
was a non-vital fetus and had 100% death rate. I collapsed and asked her how does
a mother plan to bury her own son that she already loves and wanted very much. I
was crying very heavily and almost fell off the table I was laying on.
We choose to carry him to term if my body would let me. There is a risk of
stillbirth with this kind of birth defect. So I prayed he would make it to birth
and at least cry one time so I could hear him.
I continued all my doctor appointments and 13 more ultrasounds to keep tabs on my
little angel. He was doing well. At 38 weeks I went in for my last ultrasound and
they told me he quit growing at 33 weeks and they thought it was time to deliver him.
I had the choice of a vaginal birth, but they said if I delivered him vaginally,
there was a risk that he would die during delivery or only make it about for 15 minutes.
Or a c-section, they said he would have about 2 days to live if doing well. So we took the c-section.
I chose to have him on 10-13-2006.
We went in at 10 am after we got my other 3 kids off to school. They got me ready and
I was so scared; I never had a section before. I went in at noon and baby Michael was
born at 12:22 pm, crying. He was 6 lbs. 2 oz and 19.5 inches long. I was so happy: he
was alive and doing well. His head was closed but his brain came out of his forehead
and the skull never developed. He only had a brain stem and what was sticking out of
his forehead. We looked at him and he was so handsome, but we knew at anytime he could
pass. Michael David Brock with his siblings
We were going to donate his organs to help other children in need. The transplant
team was there, thinking we were going to loose him at anytime.
I was in the hospital 3 days and he was doing so well that we choose to bring him
home under hospice care. We loved him and treated him no different from the other
children. He had to be fed through a feeding tube, but needed no other special care.
The morning of day 5, we woke up and he started having spells where he was forgetting
to breath and turned blue (Apnoea spells). I was terrified by this, he started having
seizures. I was not prepared at all for this, but I would hold him and tell him it was
ok to go, we would be fine. I knew I had to tell him that so he would be ok with it.
But knowing I really didn't want him to go, I wanted to keep him. He went through this
until day 13, when he got really bad and we knew it was close to him leaving us. I bathed
him and dressed him and listened to him coo and smile at me. He was only 13 days old and
he passed away at 5pm peacefully in his aunt's arms.
The doctors only gave him 2 days to live and he lived 13. My son was beautiful and very
happy for the short time he was here. It has been 5 months since my sons passing. I have
come to realize we only have short minutes here on earth. My son was only here 13 days but,
he taught me a lot. I miss him and always will but, I know one day we are all going to be together.
I know he is in a better place and is a happy little boy. I have learned that it's not the time
you get here it's the love you get when here. Michael got a lot. He got a life time worth all
in 13 wonderful days.
To Michael
Mommy and Daddy love you and miss you a lot. We know one day we will see you again.
JoEllen
Last updated Mai 1, 2019
