At first your eyes are closed, you are wet, cold and blinded by the bright lights and poor vision. Hands grab you, thrust you, warm and dry you. Welcome to the world.
I am 39. A neonatologist and father of five. I always wanted to be a rock star but have no talent other than being able to dance like a maniac with my eyes closed. Something I wish for all of you. As rock stardom was not in my future I entered medicine. Given the amount of vodka I was drinking, I more or less stumbled into it.
I was just called to the bedside of a baby that weighs 590 grams. Her skin is a rich pink and her belly protrudes and is shrouded in a purple hue. The small veins, which look more like river tributaries drawn on a map, are easily visible through her translucent skin. There is no hair to her body, although a small amount of thin, short bristles lay flat along her head. This girl was actually less than 400 grams at one time. A wee bit more than what Sean Penn will exhale when he dies but still far below the typical minimal survival weight. If she lives, and yes it is possible, she will be the smallest baby I had ever taken care of that survived. I think that in Japan a few babies born at 23 weeks have survived, but most of these babies don't survive the first day. This baby is much smaller than my youngest, an 18 month old that already weighs 30 pounds and wears size 8 shoes. There are big paws on this one.
We don't all come in to this world the same. We don't have the same opportunities. And yet must of us have a chance. I say most, because obviously some have no chance.
That's the way the Bee Bumbles.
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