My husband and I were married on Dec 12, 2012. We knew that as soon as we were married we were going to try for a baby. I had four children previously and my husband had none. It didn’t take long and before we knew it we were expecting a baby. We were thrilled and overwhelmed with happiness and love. Our first appointment went well, and our birth plan was set in place. By five months into my pregnancy, I started to worry and ask my husband if our baby was going to be normal. This pregnancy was different- he was not a very active baby and I worried that he may have something wrong with him. I knew in my heart that something was different about this baby.
On October 21, 2013, at 1:56 pm a beautiful, black-headed baby boy was born. He weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. He had ten fingers and ten toes and appeared perfect. We named him Trigg. He stole our hearts from that very moment.
On October 26, 2013, our lives forever changed. My phone rang, and it was the doctor. He asked me if our baby was alive and well. He’s my dad’s cousin so I thought he was just teasing me and checking in on our new little bundle. I chuckled and said, “Well, ya!” He followed my chuckle with a serious voice, “One of the tests on the newborn screen is abnormal.”
The world fell on my shoulders at that moment and I was consumed with fear and the world around me stopped. I just wanted to hold my baby and never take my eyes off of him. The doctor told me he would call back in an hour with more details, but meanwhile, he said to make sure he is eating. The next hour was the longest, most helpless hour of my entire life. I was preparing for the worst. Finally, the hour was up. The phone rang and my heart stopped. He said Trigg had tested positive for MCADD and he needed to have us bring him in for more tests as soon as possible.
We made the 45-minute drive to the hospital where blood was drawn and urine samples were taken to confirm that Trigg was positive for MCADD. My dad and our doctor gave our sweet baby a priesthood blessing and the spirit confirmed to me that he was indeed our special spirit, I knew his final tests would be positive, but I knew he would be ok.
On October 31, 2013, we met with a team of specialists to confirm that Trigg was positive for MCADD. They explained everything to us. It was a long day, but we gained lots of knowledge about the deficiency. While at Primary Children’s Hospital that day I realized how lucky we are to have the newborn screen. Because of newborn screening, we can take care of our sweet Trigg and he can grow up to be strong and healthy. Sure, we will be cautious, but we are ok.
Today our sweet Trigg is 4 years old and he has met every milestone. He is happy, healthy, thriving, and super smart. He is my hero. I am forever grateful for the newborn screen. Had we not found out, we could have lost our sweet boy as an infant. Newborn screen saves lives. There is light at the end of the tunnel, there is peace to be found and there is support all around you. With God, all things are possible. I know that he sent us this sweet spirit because he knew we could handle it and that we would care for him properly. IF you’re reading this, I send you my love. I know your fear and I know your heartache. It will pass, and you will get through this. It will always be in the back of your mind, but you will see that you too can do this! You got this!