prayers needed

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Dear KSN family,

I am writing to ask for your prayers in this time. My name is Jacob Kiper and my wife and I are having a crisis. As some of you know, my wife and I are pregnant with twin boys.

Early Saturday morning (5/5/12), my wife's water broke and she began leaking amneonic fluid. As of Saturday, my wife was 21 weeks pregnant. Our target delivery date is sometime in mid to late August. My wife has been in the hospital since Saturday and will likely be there until she delivers our baby boys... for better or worse.

Our problem is that our babies have zero shot at survival if my wife delivers before 24 weeks. As of today (5/8/12), we are 21.5 weeks along.

My wife is receiving treatment to fight potential infection and contractions. 60% of women with my wife's condition will deliver the babies within 7 days... we're currently on Day 4.

On Sunday night, my wife had several contractions... and then they just stopped. As of 5:10PM on Tuesday, we've had no known contractions since very late on Sunday.

We need God's help to prevent contractions and severe pre-term delivery. If we make it to 24 weeks, we've got about a 50% chance of survival... and right now, I'll gladly take 50%.

My wife and I would greatly appreciate all of your prayers.

God bless and Go Cats!

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Permalink Reply by C Dogg on May 29, 2012 at 1:07pm

Congratulations! We will keep praying for you and your family.

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Permalink Reply by Irfanski on May 29, 2012 at 4:32pm

Congrats to you and your wife . Will continue praying for things to keep on progressing positively for Mom and twins. God Bless.

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Permalink Reply by Aligned for 9 on July 18, 2012 at 10:56pm

Well, a lot of time has passed since I last updated this thread... to say the least, your prayers have been much appreciated.

Reid and Sam were born May 24, 2012. They were born at 23 weeks a 5 days of gestation. We were told that 24 weeks of gestation is the absolute minimum threshold of viability and survival. Reid was born at 1 lb 9 oz and Sam was born at 1 lb 5 oz.

Both boys were born with patent ductus arteriosis (PDA) which is a valve between the heart and lungs that is supposed to be open while in the womb, but is supposed to close at birth. The valve commonly does not close in premies...and my boys were micro-premies. With medication, the valves closes in both boys and the PDA was resolved.

Micro-premies very commonly have some degree of brain bleeding... my boys miraculously had none.

Both boys are now feeding on breast milk quite well. Reid never had any problems, but Sam had a few setbacks along the way when blood was discovered in his stool on 2 occasions. This was a big concern due to a possible very serious condition called nectrotizing entercolitis... NEC... a possibly fatal condition in which the bowels/intestines rupture and start to die. Luckily, the bleeding appeared to be nothing and Sam did not have NEC

Both boys required ventilators to help breath. About a week ago, Reid came off his vent and is breathing just fine on his own... although he does receive oxygen through a nasal piece. Sam is still on his vent, but will likely come off in the next week. Sam was taken off his vent last week and needed to go back on 5.5 hours later. The lungs are getting stronger in both boys... and the lungs are getting better at the oxygen and CO2 exchange. Both boys are also requiring a lesser percentage of oxygen and are getting ever closer to only needing room-level air... 21% oxygen.

Today... the boys are 7.5 weeks old. On Saturday, they will be at 32 weeks gestation. These boys have been absolute miracles. All of the nurses and doctors have told us that both boys have done exceptionally better than any baby born under 24 weeks that they've ever seen. At birth, we were given 50/50 odds of survival. Today, we're looking at 100/0... for both. Prayer works and God is good.

By the way... we're at a hospital in Evansville, IN... the incubators were both covered by blue UK blankets. It drove the NICU staff nuts! GO BIG BLUE!

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Permalink Reply by Wildcatfan4ever on July 19, 2012 at 8:11am

I am so glad to hear this. You and your family will continue to be in my prayers! And you are absolutely right in that GOD is Great and Prayer does work! Give you little Angels lots of hugs and kisses from the BBN!!