After spending the first three weeks of her life at BC Children’s Hospital, Williams Lake’s New Year’s baby is thriving back at home.
Adalina Evie Tutte was born to Hilary Jones and Laird Tutte at Cariboo Memorial Hospital on Jan. 1, 2021 at about 5:58 a.m.
Due to complications during the labour caused by the umbilical cord being wrapped over her shoulder Adalina was deprived of oxygen and needed to be resuscitated for 25 minutes, Jones said.
“We didn’t know about the cord, but her heart rate was going up and down. When she was born she was full of meconium in her lungs.”
Mom and baby were flown to the hospital in Vancouver.
Laird drove down 12 hours later to join them.
Jones said the neurologist told them she does expect some difficulties for Adalina, but it is not clear exactly what they will be in the future.
“She did have damage spread across her entire brain essentially in the white matter, grey matter and the basal ganglia, but we’re not sure how she will grow,” Jones said. “But the brain is amazing and can grow and reroute itself so we are hopeful that she won’t have any severe issues. It’s a ‘wait and see’ thing at this point.”
Adalina was having ‘lots’ of seizures when she was first born and continues to take seizure medication daily.
She is scheduled for a check up in three months at BC Children’s Hospital for an eye exam, MRI and ECG.
In the meantime, her parents plan to mark her milestones and stimulate healthy cell growth in the brain as much as possible with reading, singing, talking and tummy time.
“It will help, we just don’t know how much,” Jones said. “The physiotherapist in Vancouver said if she had not seen the MRI she would have had no idea Adalina was damaged in the brain. She’s doing everything a baby should do, so that’s promising.”
Tutte said a close friend of his started a GoFundme with a goal of $5,000 that was surpassed in 24 hours and eventually raised $7,710 for them.
Read more: Friends and family rally to support Williams Lake New Year’s baby
“We were very blessed with all the love from the community,” Jones added. “Laird’s from Horsefly and I’m from a small town on the coast and everyone really helped.”
They also received a cheque in the amount of $250 for being Williams Lake’s New Year’s baby from New Waves Pool and Spa in Williams Lake on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
It was Adalina’s first time out in Williams Lake.
Within a few minutes of their arrival, Adalina woke up and looked around with big bright eyes.
As Jones held daughter proudly she looked toward Tutte and said the two of them met online.
“It’s an online success,” she added, smiling.
Read more: Baby born in SUV just minutes from Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake
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