From Tiny to 2

8/9/2019 From Tiny to 2

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2007 WACO TO DA Y PAGE

Rod Aydelotte photoDrs. Michelle and Jeff Manning hold their 2-year-old son Jonathan, who was born only 26weeks into Michelle's pregnancy. The Mannings are this year's March of Dimes Ambassa-dor Family and will be involved in the.WalkAmerica fundraiser in April.

rom tiny to 2By TODD GLASSCOCK~r Dr. Michelle~ManIring,everydaydetails matter. In herpractice as an obstetrician-gynecologist at the WacoCenter for Women's Health,catching the right detailmay help a patient with herhealth.As a mother, spottingordinary details of growthin her 2-year-old sonJonathan is a delight, asmost parents would attestwhen they see their childrengrow. One evening while

watching her husbandJeff, an anesthesiologist atProvidence Health- Center,and their son play 'in theliving room, she noted howbig their son had become, aneveryday detail, but one thatseemed a little more specialto the Mannmgs.Two years earlier, whenJonathan was just a fewweeks old, his father'sthumbnail covered the boy'shand, and a wedding ringfit over his arm, almost tothe shoulder. Jonathan wasamong the rising percentageof children born preterm

or with a low birth weight.According to nationalfigures from the March ofDimes, the preterm birthrate, based on the numberof the children born before3.7weeks' gestation, is12.5 percent. Because oftheir son, the Manningshave become involved withthe March of Dimes, theorganization dedicated tofunding research to helpprevent premature births,birth defects and infantmortality. Last year they

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participated inWalkAmerica, afundraising effort for the organization,and this year they are serving as theMarch of Dimes Ambassador family.This year's WalkAme"ricais Aprtl 28 atBledsoe-Miller Park."I got to hold him when he was 2

weeks old for the first time," MichelleManning said. "At that time he wasconnected to a breathing machine, andwrapped in warm blankets because hecouldn't sustain his body temperature.He was still right at about a poundand 12 ounces. He certainly wasn'tanywhere near 2 pounds. And whenthey put him on my chest, you couldn'teven tell that you were holdinganything, he was so light."As doctors, both parents understoodthe risks for preterm babies, maybe alittle more than anyone should. Theyknew preterm babies could developoverwhelming infections, or become

MARCH OF DIM ESWALKAMERICA

WHEN: April 28; registration at8 a.m., walk at 9 a.m.WHERE: Bledsoe-Miller ParkREGISTRATION INFO: Signing upon the day of the walk costs $10.Most walkers will be members ofteams raising money; donations canbe raised online. Sign up online atwww.walkamerica.org.click on "reg-ister online." Walkers and teams areencouraged.CONTACT: 741-1025 at the March ofDimes office for more information.

blind, or experience bleeding in thebrain."We knew what to worry about,"Michelle said."A little knowledge is a scary thing,"added Jeff, who had taken care ofsmall, sick children in the operating

it\OO~~ ," . .-. ._Worry, of course, sometimes walks'hand-in-hand with parenting, evenbefore, parents have their children.The Manntngs knew there were somerisks involved if they were to becomeparents, because Michelle had auterine malformation that made itmore likely she would deliver preterm."Being an OB," Michelle said, "I knew60 percent of those people (at risk) dofine. "Even so, they decided it was time tostart a family. At the time, they werefinishing up their residencies at theUniversity ofAlabama in Birmingham.With Michelle's condition, they tookprecautions and believed Michellewould carry to full term.~t 25 weeks into the pregnancy,Michelle came to Waco to visit herailing grandmother, who died duringthe visit. She would stay in town


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MARCH 2007 WACO TODAY

Manning family photoWhen Jonathon Manning was just afew weeks old, his father's thumbnailcovered his hand and a wedding ringfit over his arm.for the funeral. One night duringher stay, she said she had "a feeltngsomething was not quite right. I wentto Providence and was told I was 3centimeters dilated, and was probablygoing to deliver the baby within 48hours. Being an OB, I knew that wasnot good."Doctors at Providence transferredher to Hillcrest, because Hillcrest hada neonatal intensive care unit, shesaid. Thirty-six hours later, Jonathanwas delivered after Michelle hadcarried him for just 26 ~eeks and oneday.Immediately after delivery, he wastaken to the nursery, and because apreterm child's lungs at that stagehaven't fully.developed, breathingtubes were inserted. Parents and childwere separated.Michelle soon received word thatJonathan would have a 60 percentchance of survival, but there was a 50percent chance the baby would suffer asevere complication. While under care,Jonathan underwent retinal surgeryon both eyes to prevent blindness, shesaid. Eventually, he will need glasses."At one point he also became veryanemic, and doctors had to performwhat was essentially CPR, she said.

facel

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MARCH OF DIMESJonathan spent a month at Hillcrestbefore the hospital at Birminghamsent a jet to pick him up. He stayedthere while the Mannmgs completedtheir medical training. Each dayJonathan was in the hospital wasa "pins and needles" day for theMannings.

"Even when we were having gooddays, and everything was finewaiting for what was gomg to demloalthe next week," she said.Sometimes it was a lonelywith worry that tested their"We really felt that God was waltdllDlllIover Jonathan, but, at theas physicians we knew what allpossibilities were," Michelle


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MARCH 2007"It tested our faith and made usstronger as a family," Jeff added. "Itwas a long three months, but God tookcare of us. "Knowing the possibilities madeit difficult for the Mannings. Asphysicians, they are trained to stepback and try to stay somewhatemotionally distant. While they wantedto show their love to J onathan, atthe same time, they tried to distancethemselves. But they also had to allowthemselves to be worried parents .. "One of the nurses looked at meafter a little while, and said, 'You canstop being a doctor now. You're hismom,' " Michelle said. "And that wasit. I just started crying, because it wastrue: I was trying to hold myself backlike you do with very sick patients, sothat it doesn't hurt so bad if you losethem. And when it's your own child,that's ~very difficult place to be."As the time for discharge neared,the parents would have more firsts toexperience. One first came when thebreathing tubes were taken out andMichelle heard her baby cry for thefirst time."I didn't hear him cry in the deliveryroom," she said, "and so the day thatthey extubated him, and took the tubeout, and I got to hear him cry for thefirst time was miraculous, because Iwasn't sure I was going to get to hearthat. "Jonathan was at the hospital inBirmingham for two months, beforebeing discharged - a week before hewould have been due at full term._ At birth, Jonathan weighed 1 pound,12 ounces. When he was discharged,he was still small at 4 pounds, 6ounces."Wehad to put a couple of littlerolls in the car seat to keep him fromknocking around," Michelle said.Once he was discharged, the long:


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. troubling wait was over. The",mi'l1lgs had their son. He was their.Ie.

_~, Dad and son returned toafter the Mannings finishedresidencies. Michelle's motherhes after Jonathan during the

.. Doctors recommend preterm- dren not go to daycare, to avoidth problems. Some will need in-e therapy, as well.an obstetrician we don't

erstand what causes preterm" Michelle said, when talking

ut her interest in the March ofes. "\iVedon't have any effectives to treat it at this tfrne, so anyarch that can be done, both top the prevention of preterm birth,well as helping these preemies, isand dear to my heart. "

he would love to make sure other...ts are spared what she and her

band went through, which puts thech of Dimes close to her heart.en .Jonathan, or J.T., as hefers, comes into the Mannings'. g room to greet a guest, it's hardimagine the preemie so small histher couldn't feel him on her chestfirst time she held him. Wispynd hair, about knee-high, he's justfrom a nap, and carries a favoriteufIed animal, a blue dog. It doesn'thim long to get his bearings,he names off some of his favoritegs.loves cars, and makes attertng noise like an engine.

_~DT_"""was one of his first words, andhis own keys to play with, but

the would really like to do is drivedad's car. He looks at his dad and

Cljpn::ssesthis wish.11 be a longtime before he gets toa car, but learning, like growing,in the details .

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