Meet William

When I was 22 weeks pregnant with my twin boys my water broke around my first son William.  It was late at night so I went to the local hospital and in the morning I was transferred to a hospital with an advanced NICU.  There I was told for my boys to have a chance I would have to make it to 23 weeks.  To have a good chance I would need to get closer to 25 weeks.  If I made it to 22 weeks and 5 days they would give me steroid shots.  I was also cautioned that Williams's lungs might not develop because of a lack of amniotic fluid.  At this point all I could do was wait.  At about 12:30 am Saturday (22/5) I called the nurse because something did not feel right.  I was ready to deliver.  At 2:00 am William was born weighing 535g (1lb 3oz).  The doctors then turned their attention to stopping my labor.  I was started on magnesium and inverted.  I was given the first steroid shot and and we waited.  John was breech and his feet were dangling just below my cervix and as he kicked he kept slipping further into the birth canal.  Sunday evening we decided that John needed to be delivered.  At 5:00 pm 39 hours after his brother John was born also weighing 535g.  John passed away 5 days later due to complications from pneumonia and William spent 6 months in the hospital before coming home.