“Delicate Life, Strong Determination”
The Debrobander family and their little miracle, Sophie; Albertville, MN

Like every couple that considers in vitro, we went through the devastations and frustrations of trying to get pregnant. However, nothing could have prepared us for our scare after experiencing the joy of learning I was finally with child.

I was told in my early twenties that my fallopian tubes may be damaged from an infection. When the time came, I already knew that trying to get pregnant was not going to be easy for my husband and me. We tried without results for three years, unaware of the extent to which my fallopian tubes were damaged. After extensive testing my doctor explained to me that the fluid blocking my tubes also stretched them causing them to be abnormally large. Not only would it be difficult to get pregnant, it would be just as difficult for the embryo to travel down through my tubes to get to my uterus. Frustrated and heartbroken, we began to realize that in vitro was our best shot at having a baby. Due to the size and blockage of my tubes I proceeded with my doctor’s advice for a tubal ligation to ensure the best chance of any embryos attaching.

We began our cycle and were prescribed BRAVELLE and MENOPUR. Things were going as planned and Travis and I were thrilled when they were able to pull 22 eggs from my follicles. However, days later, we were devastated to learn that the two embryos transferred into me were the only healthy embryos we could transfer. If neither attached, we would have to go through the emotional stress all over again. Our hope was lifted and we felt overjoyed when we received a positive pregnancy test and confirmed, through ultrasounds, that one embryo attached – our only surviving embryo. We were optimistic, but not taking any chances. For the next few weeks I ate as healthy as I could, got the rest I needed and prayed it would not end in a miscarriage.

Nine weeks into my pregnancy I work up one morning feeling somewhat weak and ill. Passing it off as morning sickness, I called into work to let them know I would be a little late. Within a few hours I was experiencing shooting pains up by back and shoulders, stomach sickness and dizzy spells when I attempted to stand. My mother-in-law took me to the emergency room in a nearby small town, where 7 hours later I was sent home with pain killers and rest for what they thought was a ruptured cyst that would be gone by morning. I returned home, but awoke in the middle of the night in sheets covered with blood from where I was laying. As we began to head back to the hospital, Travis and I were scared, and convinced the blood meant I had lost the baby. On the way to the car, I fell into a seizure and blacked out. In the ER four nurses frantically tried to find a vein for an IV, but I lost so much blood my veins were collapsing. After a whole hour and one last successful attempt at an IV, I was sent to emergency surgery. In the end, I was given 4 units of blood to replace all the blood I had lost. While I was in recovery, the surgeon told my family this was his second life saving surgery he performed and one of the most unusual cases he had seen in his career. He explained that he expected to see an ectopic pregnancy, however he found that the scar tissue from my tubal ligation tore. I had been bleeding internally and if I would have waited an hour longer to come in, I would not have made it. No one could tell us if our baby survived.

It was a bitter sweet feeling the next morning when my mother and Travis joined me in the hospital room for an ultrasound. We were thankful that I survived, but less hopeful that I was still pregnant. We all prayed for a heartbeat and incredibly, we found out our baby made it! Plenty of tears were shed as I commented on what a strong baby we had. At that point, Travis was convinced it was a boy, but I was convinced it had to be a girl.

On January 8, 2007, we found out Mom was right. We welcomed Sophie Olivia into the world. She’s everything we expected her to be, strong, determined, curious and a little bit stubborn!

I’m left with a half inch wide scar on my abdomen from my pelvis to my belly button; however I wear it with pride. It’s a constant reminder of what our little family accomplished emotionally and physically to be together. We will always know in our hearts, from the very beginning – she was meant to be here. She succeeded in so much before she even arrived into this world. We’re confident she has the strength and will to conquer anything life throws her way and can’t wait to see where that takes her!