Little Hero

[SDSUJacks]

SDSU beatwriter Terry Vandrovec recently had twin girls born premature at just 23 weeks. Sadly, after just two days, he lost one of them. He has shared the experience in facebook and now in a blog. I will post it here simply b/c I know Ron met Terry just a few weeks ago and b/c Terry has asked that the story be shared. Heartbreaking and inspiring. May we all count our blessing everyday.

My Little Hero

9/9/2010 argusleader.com

The most important piece I will ever write appeared today in the Argus Leader. It's not in the sports section. It's the obituary of my 2-day-old daughter, Breley.

I remember the first time I ever had to file a story about a death - a thrower from Minnesota State Moorhead died of meningitis. She was about my age and we had common acquaintances. I was shaken by the gravity of the situation, the responsibility of trying to put a life into 15-inches worth of words.

This assignment - one I volunteered for - was entirely different despite being as personal as it could possibly be.

See, our little Breley Bear was amazing and her story needed to be told.

She was a medical miracle from the start, the beautiful result of years of exhausting and expensive infertility treatments. Before we chose a name, she was known simply as Baby A because she was in line to be delivered ahead of her fraternal twin, Kailey.

Doctors aren't entirely sure what happened, but there's a chance Breley developed an infection in utero that caused the water around her to break shy of the 24-week mark, a crucial date in gestation. However, she managed to hold off on being born for four days, buying crucial development time for her sister and protecting her from the outside world.

After birth, Breley developed a series of health problems - almost none of them existing prior to gaining premature status. She held on for more than two days, at just 1 lb., 6 oz. fighting through at least one injury that doctors said would have instantly killed an adult. Ultimately, she died in the comforting arms of her heartbroken mother.

We have since run the gamut of emotions. Sadness, anger, jealousy - why didn't we get to leave the birth center with any babies? And also pride.

I'm so proud of Breley - that's what I told her over and over after I arrived at the hospital Sunday evening.

In her short life, she very well may have saved the life of her twin sister. I can't wait for Kailey - who is stable if far from in the clear - to be old enough to hear the story of her guardian angel.

She united hundreds of people. The support we have received from family, friends and relative strangers is astounding. Much of that has come from the athletic community - and not just South Dakota State and the Skyforce, the two programs I regularly cover. People from the University of South Dakota, the University of Sioux Falls, North Dakota State, Minnesota State, Oakland University, the Denver Broncos - just to name a few - have reached out to us to offer congrats and/or condolences.

She's contributing to the field of medicine. The results of her autopsy will be used in a study related to SIDS. And an account has been set up in her name at the Sanford Health Foundation with all of the gifts going to research, equipment and support of premature babies and their families.

Breley accomplished all of that in two days and weighing less than two pounds.

We love her. We miss her. We are so very proud of her.

[ron]

SDSU beatwriter Terry Vandrovec recently had twin girls born premature at just 23 weeks. Sadly, after just two days, he lost one of them. He has shared the experience in facebook and now in a blog. I will post it here simply b/c I know Ron met Terry just a few weeks ago and b/c Terry has asked that the story be shared. Heartbreaking and inspiring. May we all count our blessing everyday.

My Little Hero

9/9/2010 argusleader.com

The most important piece I will ever write appeared today in the Argus Leader. It's not in the sports section. It's the obituary of my 2-day-old daughter, Breley.

I remember the first time I ever had to file a story about a death - a thrower from Minnesota State Moorhead died of meningitis. She was about my age and we had common acquaintances. I was shaken by the gravity of the situation, the responsibility of trying to put a life into 15-inches worth of words.

This assignment - one I volunteered for - was entirely different despite being as personal as it could possibly be.

See, our little Breley Bear was amazing and her story needed to be told.

She was a medical miracle from the start, the beautiful result of years of exhausting and expensive infertility treatments. Before we chose a name, she was known simply as Baby A because she was in line to be delivered ahead of her fraternal twin, Kailey.

Doctors aren't entirely sure what happened, but there's a chance Breley developed an infection in utero that caused the water around her to break shy of the 24-week mark, a crucial date in gestation. However, she managed to hold off on being born for four days, buying crucial development time for her sister and protecting her from the outside world.

After birth, Breley developed a series of health problems - almost none of them existing prior to gaining premature status. She held on for more than two days, at just 1 lb., 6 oz. fighting through at least one injury that doctors said would have instantly killed an adult. Ultimately, she died in the comforting arms of her heartbroken mother.

We have since run the gamut of emotions. Sadness, anger, jealousy - why didn't we get to leave the birth center with any babies? And also pride.

I'm so proud of Breley - that's what I told her over and over after I arrived at the hospital Sunday evening.

In her short life, she very well may have saved the life of her twin sister. I can't wait for Kailey - who is stable if far from in the clear - to be old enough to hear the story of her guardian angel.

She united hundreds of people. The support we have received from family, friends and relative strangers is astounding. Much of that has come from the athletic community - and not just South Dakota State and the Skyforce, the two programs I regularly cover. People from the University of South Dakota, the University of Sioux Falls, North Dakota State, Minnesota State, Oakland University, the Denver Broncos - just to name a few - have reached out to us to offer congrats and/or condolences.

She's contributing to the field of medicine. The results of her autopsy will be used in a study related to SIDS. And an account has been set up in her name at the Sanford Health Foundation with all of the gifts going to research, equipment and support of premature babies and their families.

Breley accomplished all of that in two days and weighing less than two pounds.

We love her. We miss her. We are so very proud of her.

That is truly tragic. Everybody has a story. I enjoyed meeting Terry just a couple of weeks ago, little knowing what events were about to occur in his life. He seems like a genuinely nice guy and a true gift to the SDSU program in his coverage of things sports for the local newspaper (I think ORU would love to have someone dishing out information in print about the local teams the way he does). I wish him and his family all the best as Kailey continues to climb the mountain ahead of her in the struggle for a life that began prematurely.

[tmh8286]

I remember Terry from the video review he did of the Mabee Center a couple of years ago that was posted on line, and through the stories of his I've read and the interviews he's done. He's always come across as a good guy.

Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Tragedy often brings friends together; I hope Terry realizes that he has friends in Tulsa that he doesn't even know, that we wish him the best, and that we're keeping him and his wife up in our prayers.