Vicky Aitchison, 37, Christchurch
Staring blankly at the screen, I was lost for words. 'Do you have any more questions?' the cardiologist asked via the video-conference link. 'No,' I said softly. 'Thank you.'
As the screen faded to black, my feelings of optimism faded with it. 'So I guess now we just wait,' my husband Alan, 35, said.
We'd just been told our 24-week-old foetus had three holes in his heart, among other problems. He'd need heart surgery within weeks of being born and that would just be the start. 'I don't understand why this happened,' I said. Alan and I already had two other sons, Cameron, five, and Ewan, two, and both were born healthy.
Eight weeks before our son was due, he stopped growing.
Only when our boy Finlay was born, on April 8, 2008, did we discover why he had so many problems. 'His blood-sugar levels are all over the place,' nurses told us. 'We're sending him for an ultrasound.'
When a doctor came to see us hours later, he had strange news. Not only had they been unable to find Finlay's gall bladder, they couldn't find his pancreas either. 'We're sure his pancreas must be there, it may just be hidden,' the doctor continued.
When they couldn't find it during an MRI, they became alarmed. 'We believe Finlay has an extremely rare condition, where he's been born without a pancreas, which could be linked to his congenital heart problems,' Fin's doctor told us. 'We've never seen any cases like this in New Zealand.' I didn't really understand. What did a pancreas do anyway?
'What happens now?' I asked, tears in my eyes. 'We're not sure,' the doctor said. 'The next two weeks will be critical.'
A diabetes specialist came to talk to us. He explained Fin would be a diabetic for life and, on top of this, because he didn't have a pancreas he'd struggle to get nutrients from his food.
Shaking my head, I listened as the list of Finlay's issues went on and on. 'It's going to be hard,' the specialist said.
Alan and I felt battered, out of our depth and so alone. 'Finlay will need insulin every few hours,' the specialist said. 'The best option would be to have a pump inserted in his leg.'
Over the next few weeks, Alan and I tried to learn as much as we could about Fin's condition. The staff at Auckland Hospital were great but despite their support, I still felt very lost.
When we took Fin home, I scoured the internet for information. There was hardly anything to be found, so I decided to leave a post on a diabetic forum. Is anyone else out there? I typed. My son doesn't have a pancreas.
I kept on checking the forum, but no-one replied to my post.
It seemed we were destined to walk this path alone. 
Vicky & her son Finlay (right), and Karina with her daughter Sarah (left) Karina Innes, 29, Melbourne, Vic
Standing in my kitchen, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing. I'd made a cup of tea, but I didn't really feel like drinking it. The doctor's words haunted me. 'You need to be prepared that Sarah may pass away within the next couple of weeks,' he'd told us yesterday.
My baby girl Sarah was only a few weeks old, but she was plagued with problems. She'd been born nine weeks early, weighing only 735g. At six days old she'd had bowel surgery and now doctors had discovered she had no pancreas.
'There are no other cases in Australia,' my husband Michael, 31, and I were told. In a population of 22 million, my daughter was the only one. I felt so alone. Now, with a death sentence hanging over my baby's head, I was searching for some sign of hope.
Just let me find one survivor, I prayed, logging onto the net. Baby with no pancreas, I typed into Google. A result popped up, linking to a diabetic forum. Is anyone else out there? it read. My son doesn't have a pancreas.
I couldn't believe my eyes. 'Michael! There's a survivor in New Zealand,' I choked.
Reading Vicky's post, a hopeful smile spread across Michael's face. 'He's six months old already,' Michael said. 'And he's still alive.'
I felt a surge of hope. Hi Vicky, I typed in an email. My name is Karina, and my daughter Sarah also has no pancreas.
Sending off my reply, I hoped I hadn't bombarded her with too many questions.
At the hospital with Sarah, I willed her to keep fighting, all the time knowing there was another baby across the Tasman who had pulled through.
When I checked my email, I had a reply. Heart pounding, I read Vicky's stories and advice.
'Her son Finlay has something called an Animas insulin pump,' I told Michael. 'She says it works better than anything else.'
Sarah was being given insulin via a drip, which meant we couldn't bring her home.
Scribbling down notes, I went back to the hospital armed with questions and suggestions from Vicky. 'Is an Animas insulin pump an option for Sarah?' I asked the doctor.
'That's a very good suggestion,' the doctor said. 'But first Sarah needs to gain weight to be able to attach the pump to her.'
Smiling, I silently thanked my angel across the Tasman.
Soon my girl might be allowed to come home.
Over the next few months, Vicky and I kept in contact every week, updating each other on our babies and giving advice on what was working best.
Whenever Michael and I were given the worst-case scenarios, I'd tearfully turn to Vicky and she'd always give me hope.
'Oh, that's nothing to be concerned about,' Vicky would comfort me. 'We were told the exact same thing about Finlay, but he got through it.'
Today, Sarah is 10 months old and despite needing heart surgery next month, she is doing really well.
Finlay is now 18 months and just like Sarah, he's still fighting.
Neither Vicky nor I know what lies ahead for our babies. There haven't been any reports of what happens to babies with no pancreas beyond their first few months, so each day is a new achievement.
Swapping photos of Sarah and Finlay, Vicky and I are constantly delighted and comforted by how alike our two babies are.
I don't know what Vicky and I would have done without each other. We're planning to meet up in the future, when our babies are strong enough to travel.
In the meantime we'll stay bonded by the shared love of our little ones.
Interested in starting up a support group of your own? Click here for some tips on how to get started - or visit our Forums to get involved.
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