I’ve been a little quiet over the last few weeks when it comes to new features on the blog and facebook. Mainly due to the arrival of the newest member of our family…

I was hugely excited when the news came that my sister Lisl and her husband Marinus were expecting their 3rd, even more so when I heard it’s another little nephew on the way. Taro Boshoff finally arrived on (Tuesday) March 20th, 2012. He was full term and his mom had what you’d call a “text book pregnancy” (both her and baby absolutely healthy). It goes without saying that when the contractions finally started that evening we were all very excited to finally meet the little one. We (Lisl, Marinus and myself) were full of laughs making our way to the hospital.

Unfortunately, there were complications…

Taro suffered from lack of oxygen at birth (Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, or HIE), he was born completely blue and lifeless. Needless to say he wasn’t breathing on his own, doctors started working on him immediately. What you think and feel at that moment when you see him like that is something that can not be described to anyone. We stood there in silence as they worked, kept expecting him to cry at any moment…

About 30min after he was born, in Vergelegen Mediclinic ICU

As soon as they got him breathing he was rushed to Panorama Mediclinic’s Neonatal ICU, doctors feared that his brain had gone too long without oxygen. They started brain cooling treatment on him right away (in an effort to reverse whatever brain damage he might have suffered).

Taro soon started suffering from seizures, a sign that the brain is seriously damaged. This has a snowball effect, each seizure causes a little more damage. He was then put on strong medication to control the seizures. This however also makes him unable to breath, he had to be put on life support.

On (Wednesday) March 21st, his parents were told that it was to early to tell what the damage might be, but that there was a real chance that he might not have any brain activity at all. On Friday, March 23rd they had to remove the brain cooling treatment as 72hrs is the longest they could keep it going. We had to wait and see what happens on Friday 23rd. It was the longest 3 days of our lives…

During the brain cooling. He was very swollen because of the medication they gave him to stop the seizures. Picture taken with black berry.

Well… the 23rd has come and gone, through an unbelievable amount of prayers and support Taro did have brain activity. Over that weekend they started to remove brain sensors, drips and finally the life support completely. His kidney’s were functioning as they should, so is every other organ. They slowly started to reduce and eventually stop sedation. Doctors told us that even though it wasn’t a “life and death” situation anymore the reality was that he could suffer from (worst case scenario) cerebral palsy. Since his brain was affected only time will tell what and where the damage is. Having said that, we are all praying for and sincerely believe he will fully recover, “without a scratch”.

Right now he has little challenges to overcome, the first was to breath without assistance (this was achieved on March 26th.), the next is that he needs to learn how to suck so that he can feed without the tube to his stomach. Apparently this is quite a milestone, most babies who with the same condition find it really hard to learn.

When he was 6 days old he was finally awake, looking around and his mother (Lisl) got to hold him for the first time. But has never cried or made any other sound (still had tubes in his mouth for feeding etc).

Our view through the ICU window at Panorama Mediclinic

On Friday, April 6th Taro went home…

He did learn how to suck, in fact he breastfeeds! Taro will need to see a physio once a week for the next year and see the doctor for check-ups. But he’s a gorgeous little boy who moves, looks around, burps, poop’s and sleeps just like any other 3 week old baby would do. The rest, time will tell. In the meantime… here’s a few shots of Taro at home.

I would like to personally thank all the doctors, nurses and everyone at Panorama Mediclinic who took care of Taro during his time there. Seriously I’ve no idea how you guys do this everyday. I also want to thank family, friends, facebook groups, complete strangers, prayer groups in SA, America and even Taiwan – seriously EVERYONE for all the prayers and support you’ve given the Boshoff’s and our whole family over the last few weeks. Most of all our Father in Heaven, if it wasn’t for Him Taro might not have been with us today.

And he hates a bath as much as the next guy… specially the bit where mom covers him in cream! I can’t help but laugh as these crying pictures, I know babies are not happy when they cry, but man I waited AGES to hear that little voice… and just look at that face!