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The Farrell's After
2 weeks in the labor and delivery ward trying to hold off delivering,
the call went out at about 2:00 AM on July 31, 2000 to the NICU (NSUH-Manhasset)
that the Farrell "triplets" were about to be delivered (at
26 weeks). Then, at about 2:15 AM or so, after Farrell "A"
(Jack, 1 lb., 14 oz.) and Farrell "B" (Matthew, 2 lbs.)
were delivered, an ultrasound revealed that there were still two more
to come. By 2:30 AM, Farrell "C" (Emma, 1 lb., 7 oz.) and
Farrell "D" (Luke, 1lb., 14 oz.) had arrived. In the morning of Wednesday, August 2 we learned that Matthew would not likely make it through the day. The following 14 hours that Matthew stayed with us were handled by the NICU staff with the highest level of compassion and professionalism. From
that point on, Jack, Emma and Luke progressed through the ranks of
the NICU, each with their own scares along the way. All of these events
were handled by the NICU staff We'll never forget the efforts of the staff who cared for Jack, Matthew, Emma and Luke during their stay in the NICU. Their daily words of support, acts of kindness and compassion to our family far exceeded any vocational obligations. However,
during our experience there was a sense that the NICU patients, their
families and the terrific medical staff could benefit from improved
facilities and support programs. There was no apparent structure to
foster these ends. For example, our 3 year old daughter Greta, who
came to the NICU everyday to see "her" babies, had to remain
outside the NICU in the hallway because there were no facilities to
accommodate siblings who are too young to be admitted into the Unit.
Another example is the layout of the facilities itself, which was not designed to be a twenty-first century Family-Centered Care NICU facility, but rather a facility designed for the provision of care only for the critically ill newborn infant with little overall focus on the whole family - a twentieth century concept. This condition is only intensified during periods of high census in the NICU, when the staff and families are stretched to the limit in an already stressful environment. It is for these reasons, among others, that we have joined with other NICU families to establish the Tender Loving Care Foundation as an independent not-for-profit foundation to ensure that the overall experience follows the Family-Centered Care model. In this way it is our hope that the experience of having a baby or babies in the NICU is improved and that this care model will continue to be improved over time.
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With
virtually no notice, the night shift of both Labor & Delivery
and the NICU pulled out all the stops and went way above and beyond
the call of duty to deliver our "26 week" quads and get
them set up in the NICU for what would become a three and a half month
gauntlet for all of us.
(be
it keeping us informed of the crisis of the week, or executing its
resolution) with the superior medical care and competency to which
we had grown accustomed. During that time, the neonatologists and
nurses caring for our "26 week" preemies, provided us with
the peace of mind in knowing that our children were receiving the
highest level of care.
This
put a great deal of added stress to our daily visits. One of us would
have to stay with her in the hall, while the other went from baby
to baby to get the latest information of their progress or issues
for that day. If not for the family-friendly staff who spent time
with Greta, there would have been no relief provided for Karen and
myself during our daily visits over the course of the 3 month stay
at the NICU.