Lidia Teodora Dragomir was born on the 5th of April 2010, via C-section, on the 38th week of gestation. There were some suspicions of heart problems, but nothing hinted towards Trisomy 18 during the pregnancy.
Teodora was born with very low weight- 1950 grams. Her initial Apgar was 5, then 6, and 10 minutes later 7. The doctors immediately were aware of heart problems, and suggested further investigations so that heart surgery would be done as soon as possible. A complex heart malformation, a double sized kidney and a month later the clinical diagnosis of Trisomy 18...
As soon as the doctors found out the diagnosis, they suggested that she would be disconnected from the machines that were keeping her alive. The cardiologist in Germany that was supposed to perform surgery on Teodora refused to do it knowing that it was a T18 case. He said she wouldn't stand a chance, anyway.
So the parents decided to take Teodora to Linz, Austria. She had already been seen by a cardioligist there. He said that the little girl should have immediate surgery, but her weight and general state weren't good enough for her to make it through.
For the first year of her life, Teodora was in and out the hospital with various respiratory trackt infections that had almost killed her several times. The parents had even bought a burial place for her. But she was a strong little girl and a fighter and she made it!
In January 2012 Teodora was scheduled for surgery in Linz, Austria. She had her first surgery in the 23th, but there were some other medical problems discovered there so she had another surgery one week later. The recovery was slow and difficult, but she could finally come home and celebrate her second birthday.
I would like to mention that none of her medical and travel expenses were payed by the Romanian state (as they would have been if she hadn't beed a T18 baby). The parents raised funds from church support and donations and were able to pay for all the medical expenses.
Where there's a will, there's a way, thay say. First and foremost, we are aware that it was God's will for Teodora to live and thrive. It was He that decided to place an extra chromosome in her little body, and it was He that helped her defy the doctors' gloomy prognosis.
She is a very loved and happy little girl, and quite pretty, if I may say so.
