BENJAMIN L. WILLARD - CANADA
Lived from October 5, 2016 to October 31, 2016
Late-onset
Mother's GBS status: Tested positive
Treatment: IV during labor
Gestational Age: Full term
Age Harmed: 3 weeks old
I just wanted to share with the group my experience with group B strep. I gave birth October 5th to a beautiful 9 pound 4 ounce baby boy. I was told during my pregnancy that I had group B strep and that while I went into labour I would have to take antibiotics in order to not pass the infection onto my baby.
I did just that. I waited for four hours of having antibiotics before I pushed and delivered. Three weeks later, with no signs or symptoms that my baby boy was sick, he fell so incredibly ill. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday night we were feeding him his bottle and noticed he was cranky. As most parents would think, we thought it was gas pains. We then gave my little one a bath to try to alleviate his gas and noticed he was pale. He then began having breathing problems. This all happened between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. when I called the ambulance because his breathing was so scary. An hour later of being in the emergency department he began having seizures and stopped breathing on his own. He was put on life support. The next day after a spinal tap and blood work was done we found out that our son had Group B Strep Meningitis.
He was airlifted to another hospital and was treated with antibiotics and many pain medications to keep him comfortable. The infection made it to his blood and the outside of his brain. While we prayed for good results over the next three days the antibiotics finally stopped the growth of the infection. We were told from day one that my son only had a 50/50 chance and that he may come out of it with brain damage. Nothing was ever certain.... After four long days we found out the effects of GBS meningitis. It caused so much brain damage my son would have never been able to eat on his own, feed himself, breathe for himself, walk, talk, remember, or learn. He died from this horrible infection. At three weeks old I am burying my son today.
This infection can be fatal. Although statistics prove that there are better odds for you and your baby that this doesn't happen, I shared my story because it is still a possibility.
I wish the hospitals could have done a blood test or monitored my son more to watch for signs of GBS instead of thinking everything was OK because I received antibiotics during labor.
Please fight to have your child tested after birth regardless of the fact you had antibiotics before delivery. It can be fatal.
— Angielee Snodgrass, Canada
Angielee shares GBS info by posting on Facebook groups such as GBS Meningitis Awareness and GBS International
Lived from October 5, 2016 to October 31, 2016
Late-onset
Mother's GBS status: Tested positive
Treatment: IV during labor
Gestational Age: Full term
Age Harmed: 3 weeks old
I just wanted to share with the group my experience with group B strep. I gave birth October 5th to a beautiful 9 pound 4 ounce baby boy. I was told during my pregnancy that I had group B strep and that while I went into labour I would have to take antibiotics in order to not pass the infection onto my baby.
I did just that. I waited for four hours of having antibiotics before I pushed and delivered. Three weeks later, with no signs or symptoms that my baby boy was sick, he fell so incredibly ill. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday night we were feeding him his bottle and noticed he was cranky. As most parents would think, we thought it was gas pains. We then gave my little one a bath to try to alleviate his gas and noticed he was pale. He then began having breathing problems. This all happened between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. when I called the ambulance because his breathing was so scary. An hour later of being in the emergency department he began having seizures and stopped breathing on his own. He was put on life support. The next day after a spinal tap and blood work was done we found out that our son had Group B Strep Meningitis.
He was airlifted to another hospital and was treated with antibiotics and many pain medications to keep him comfortable. The infection made it to his blood and the outside of his brain. While we prayed for good results over the next three days the antibiotics finally stopped the growth of the infection. We were told from day one that my son only had a 50/50 chance and that he may come out of it with brain damage. Nothing was ever certain.... After four long days we found out the effects of GBS meningitis. It caused so much brain damage my son would have never been able to eat on his own, feed himself, breathe for himself, walk, talk, remember, or learn. He died from this horrible infection. At three weeks old I am burying my son today.
This infection can be fatal. Although statistics prove that there are better odds for you and your baby that this doesn't happen, I shared my story because it is still a possibility.
I wish the hospitals could have done a blood test or monitored my son more to watch for signs of GBS instead of thinking everything was OK because I received antibiotics during labor.
Please fight to have your child tested after birth regardless of the fact you had antibiotics before delivery. It can be fatal.
— Angielee Snodgrass, Canada
Angielee shares GBS info by posting on Facebook groups such as GBS Meningitis Awareness and GBS International
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Join Angielee's
"What If We Had Known . . . ? campaign page HERE in tribute to Benjamin. |
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To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
