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Diamond Andre'a Pannell

HELLO MY NAME IS MARY BEAMER, THE LITTLE GIRL ABOVE IS MY DAUGHTER DIAMOND ANDRE’A PANNELL. THIS IS OUR STORY!

I WAS BLEEDING ON/OFF THE ENTIRE 27 WEEKS I WAS PREGNANT. DRS NEVER COULD EXPLAIN WHY. I PASSED A CLOT WHEN I WAS 7 WEEKS AND THE DR TOSSED IT IN THE TRASH. A SONOGRAM WAS DONE AND I WAS TOLD THE BABY WAS THERE, BUT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHY I WAS BLEEDING. I WAS ALSO IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A KIDNEY INFECTION DURING THE PREGNANCY. AT 27 WEEKS I WENT INTO LABOR, DRS TRIED TO STOP IT BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER DIAMOND CAME OUT THE DR PULLED OUT ANOTHER SACK, WHICH WAS CORRODED WITH INFECTION AND SAID I WAS PREGNANT WITH TWINS, AND MUST HAVE MISCARRIED THE OTHER BABY. COME TO FIND OUT THE CLOT I PASSED AT 7 WEEKS, WAS DIAMONDS TWIN. THE SACK WAS LEFT IN ME AFTER PASSING THE CLOT, FOR 4 MONTHS, WHICH THEN GOT INFECTED AND CAUSED DIAMOND TO GET SICK. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE PREMATURE LABOR. DIAMOND WAS STRESSING AND WANTED OUT.

FROM TAKING HER FIRST BREATHE ON AUGUST 3, 1996, SHE HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE. SHE IS AN EX 27 WEEK PREEMIE TWIN. SHE HAD HYDROCEPHALUS, AND A BLEED THROUGH HER VENTRICLES AT BIRTH. THIS IS WHY SHE HAD A VP SHUNT PLACED SOON AFTER BIRTH, THIS IS TO DRAIN THE EXTRA FLUID OFF THE BRAIN.

DIAMOND WAS BORN AT MONTGOMERY GENERAL HOSP. IN OLNEY, MD.

SHE WAS NOT EXPECTED TO SURVIVE, BECAUSE SHE WAS BEING BORN 3 MONTHS EARLY. SHE WEIGHED 2 LBS 1/2 OZ, AND WAS 15 INCHES LONG. DIAMOND WAS INTUBATED AND IMMEDIATELY TRANSFERRED TO UNIVERSITY OF MD MEDICAL CENTER IN BALTIMORE. I DID NOT EVEN GET TO HOLD HER, CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW I WAS FEELING. THE TRANSPORT TEAM DID NOT EXPECT HER TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT, LET ALONE THE RIDE. (I DISCHARGED MYSELF OUT OF THE HOSP A FEW HRS AFTER LABOR) DIAMOND TRICKED EVERYONE! SHE STAYED AT U.M.M.C FOR THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF HER LIFE. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE. TEST AFTER TEST. DURING HER STAY, DIAMOND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND WE WERE TOLD THAT SHE WAS CORDICALLY BLIND. I STAYED THERE WITH HER THE ENTIRE TIME, CONFUSED, DEPRESSED AND ASKING GOD, "WHY?"

OCTOBER 23,1996, DIAMOND WAS BROUGHT HOME IN A LIMO. FREE OF ALL MACHINES EXCEPT HER APNEA MONITOR. RELATIVES WERE THERE TO GREET HER AS SHE WAS PUT IN THE LIMO. DIAMOND WAS NOT EVEN HOME FOR 2 WHOLE MONTHS, AND WAS ADMITTED TO SGAH FOR RSV. SHE WAS INTUBATED BECAUSE SHE STOPPED BREATHING. DIAMOND WAS ONLY WEIGHING 5 LBS AT THIS TIME. FINALLY HOME AGAIN, AFTER ABOUT 1 MONTH.

DIAMOND HAD APNEA REALLY BAD WHEN SHE FIRST CAME HOME. AFTER RECOVERING FROM A SECOND CASE OF RSV, SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TRACHEAMALACIA. DIAMOND WAS TRACHED FEBRUARY 19, 1998 (18 MONTHS OLD). SURGERY WAS DONE AT CHILDRENS HOSP WASH, DC. SHE WAS SENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN FOR RECOVERY. THIS IS WHERE I RECEIVED TRAINING ON HOW TO CARE FOR HER TRACH. 2 MONTHS LATER DRS NOTICED DIAMOND WAS ALSO FAILING TO THRIVE.

APRIL 03,1998 DIAMOND WAS BACK AT CHILDRENS HOSP FOR A GASTROSTOMY TUBE PLACEMENT. SHE WAS NOT GAINING WEIGHT FROM STRUGGLING TO BREATHE (BEFORE THE TRACH) AND WAS DYING BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO THRIVE. DRS SAID THE GTUBE WOULD FATTEN HER UP QUICK. AFTER SURGERY SHE WAS SENT BACK TO HSC. SHE STARTED GAINING WEIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO GO HOME MAY 1998.

BEFORE DIAMOND WAS DISCHARGED HER FATHER AND I SEPERATED. I THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS A 21 YEAR OLD, SINGLE MOTHER OF A DISABLED LITTLE GIRL. I JUST KEPT PRAYING TO GOD TO GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO BE ABLE TO CARE FOR HER ALL BY MYSELF. HER FATHER HAS NOT BEEN IN HER LIFE SINCE.

DIAMOND HAS HAD MANY HOSPITAL ADMITS, DUE TO MINOR TRACH INFECTIONS, SEIZURES AND HIGH TEMPS. BESIDES THESE STAYS SHE HAS BEEN HOME.

DIAMOND IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME AND I AM DOING EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE HER LIFE AS COMFORTABLE AND EASY AS POSSIBLE.

IT REALLY HURTS ME THAT SHE CAN'T TALK, WALK, OR RUN AROUND WITH HER COUSINS. MOST OF ALL, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF SHE KNOWS WHAT I LOOK LIKE. THIS HURTS SO MUCH! EVERYONE THINKS I AM SO STRONG, BUT REALLY I AM SCREAMING, CRYING INSIDE. THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH PAIN I REALLY AM IN. EVERYDAY IS A STRUGGLE WITH DIAMOND, ITS ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER. I REALLY HAVE HIGH HOPES AND DREAMS FOR DIAMOND. WITH ALL THE CARING PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HER LIFE RIGHT NOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP HER ACHIEVE SOME GOALS WE SET FOR HER.

PEOPLE ASK ME EVERYDAY, "HOW DO YOU DO IT, YOU ARE SO YOUNG?" MY ANSWER TO THEM IS USUALLY I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT MY ANSWER TO THEM WOULD ACTUALLY BE, I JUST PRAY FOR STRENGTH, AND ASK GOD TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS. I THINK WHAT REALLY KEEPS ME GOING AND SANE IS SEEING DIAMOND SMILE, SHE HAS THE PRETTIEST SMILE I HAVE EVER SEEN. IT REALLY JUST MELTS MY HEART. DIAMOND CAN'T TALK, SO EVERYTIME SHE SMILES I JUST IMAGINE WHAT SHE WOULD SAY TO ME. I REALLY THINK IT'S HER WAY OF SAYING,"THANK YOU MOMMY FOR NOT GIVING UP ON ME!"

THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO READ OUR STORY!

SPECIAL THANKS: FAMILY WHO HAS HELPED US IN SO MANY WAYS, NIECE AND NEPHEW FOR NOT BEING SCARED OF DIAMOND AND WANTING TO LEARN HOW TO CARE FOR HER EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ONLY 8 & 6, ALL THE NURSES THAT HAVE TAKEN WONDERFUL CARE OF HER, AND EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF DIAMONDS LIFE! WE LOVE YOU ALL! THANKS!

UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2000:  DIAMOND GOT HER PASSY-MUIR VALVE  SEPT 2000, AND WE CAN FINALLY HEAR HER VOICE.

UPDATE 2003:  DIAMOND WON SECOND PLACE IN THE 2003 PASSY-MUIR HOLIDAY PHOTO CONTEST. HER PICTURE IS POSTED ON WWW.PASSY-MUIR.COM UNDER PASSY-MUIR MODELS.

UPDATE 2004:  DIAMONDS MUSCLE TONE WAS INCREASING SEVERELY. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS VERY HARD TO DRESS HER AND MOVE HER EXTREMITIES. I WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT ANOTHER SURGERY SO I JUST PRAYED ON IT. TO HELP DECREASE THE SPASTICITY DIAMOND HAD A BACLOFEN PUMP PLACED MAY 7, 2004 AT JOHN HOPKINS IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS, DIAMOND IS MOVING AROUND LIKE NEVER BEFORE. I AM ABLE TO BEND HER ARMS AND LEGS WITHOUT FORCE AND SHE IS SITTING UP LONGER BY HERSELF. THE SURGEON TOLD ME THAT DIAMONDS PUMP INSERTION WAS HIS MOST DIFFICULT THIS YEAR, BUT DIAMOND DID WONDERFUL DURING THE SURGERY. AT OUR FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENT THE SURGEON WAS VERY PLEASED AT HOW FAST DIAMOND HEALED UP. HE ALSO STATED THAT ALTHOUGH SHE WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT SURGERY THIS YEAR, SHE HAD THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESULTS. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY DECISION AND I CAN TELL THAT DIAMOND IS TOO!

E-MAIL MARY

MDIAMONDSR4EVER@aol.com

• Gender: Female
• Demographic Region: North America
• Medical Conditions: Twin, Preemie, G-Tube, Cerebral Palsy, cortical visual impairment, Hydrocephalus

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