WATCH: Esmi the miracle baby leaves the Clinton Hospital after 101 days

ON June 4 at approximately 2.30pm a tiny miracle, Esmi Boucher, finally left the Clinton Hospital after a long stay in the neonatal ward.

Esmi was born after just 25 weeks and four days of her mother’s pregnancy when a complication put her mother, Ester Boucher’s, life in danger. An emergency C-section was the only option left to doctors in order to save her life.

Esmi was born on February 23, weighing just 590g. According to her father, Michael Boucher, she was so small at that stage she could fit in just one of his hands. After her 101-day stay in the neonatal ward, she was discharged weighing 2.355kg, almost five times her initial weight.

Abundant joy after great sadness

The journey the Bouchers had to walk to the day they could finally take their baby girl home was long and filled with sadness. The couple have been married for 13 years and since the beginning of their marriage they have tried to start a family. This, however, for the longest time, seemed like it would be impossible for them. According to them, there was no medical reason why it should have been this hard for them to become pregnant and they began to wonder what they were doing wrong.

“After eight or nine years, we began to accept that it was not meant for us,” says Michael. After 10 years and 10 months, however, they received the amazing news in 2017. Ester discovered she was 16 weeks pregnant when she visited her gynaecologist, Dr Gerhard van der Westhuzien. This is where the long road the parents walked with Dr van der Westhuizen began, something they are truly grateful about.

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The first setback

The pregnancy, however, did not develop as it should. Ester was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. The condition is characterised by a high blood pressure and low platelet count. On June 3, 2017, the decision was taken to do an emergency C-section.

Mieke Boucher was born after 26 weeks of pregnancy, weighing 700g. The fight to save Mieke’s life started immediately and she was placed on an oscillator. Despite the best efforts of the staff in the neonatal ward and Dr Klaas Mnisi, a neonatologist, they were unable to save baby Mieke. Mieke died at 10.10pm on June 4, 2017. Exactly 21 hours after the C-section, the Bouchers were called to the hospital to say their goodbyes.

“You feel completely empty,” says Ester.

“Initially, you are angry,” says Michael. “Angry at the staff, angry at yourself and angry at God.” Michael says this anger only lasted a few hours when they realised the doctors did everything in their power to save Mieke’s life.

“They put us first,” says Ester. Michael, who has a pastoral background, says in the past he had to bury the children of other people, but never thought he would have to do it himself.

The Bouchers decided to use their experiences of loss as part of their service and help other people going through something similar.

“We did it because we knew one day we would see her in heaven and we wanted her to be proud of us.”

After Mieke’s death, they wrote a letter to the doctors and staff to say thank you for everything they did for their family.

“They were surprised that we weren’t angry,” says Michael, adding they sat with the doctors and cried over Mieke.

“That day, Dr van der Westhuizen said to me that from now on he was my doctor and we would walk the path together,” says Ester.

Trying again

Early in 2018, Ester found out she was pregnant again. The old sad feeling showed itself after just eight weeks of pregnancy. On May 17, 2018, Ester had a miscarriage. This time they refused to be disappointed.

“My words to my doctor were immediate: ‘When can we try again?’,” says Ester.

A great happiness came to them in September 2018 when Ester found out she was pregnant with Esmi. More amazing was the date of birth was set for June 4.

“It was a sign to us that God said he is giving us Esmi as a gift on the date when we lost Mieke,” says Michael.

Ester, unfortunately, showed the same symptoms as when she was pregnant with Mieke. She was again diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. With her life in danger an emergency C-section was done. Esmi was born on 23 February, 2019, after 25 weeks of pregnancy.

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Journey’s end

According to the Bouchers, they had the same fears as the first time. They were scared they would lose Esmi as well.

“I was terrified waiting for 10.10pm to come,” says Ester.

The two decided: “This time she is coming home.” They returned to the same hospital as before as they wanted to walk hand in hand with the doctors who treated them so well before. Esmi’s long stay in the Clinton neonatal ward began. Esmi was placed on an oscillator shortly after her birth, but within 24 hours she showed all the signs of becoming stronger. The cot Esmi was placed in in the ward was next to the bed that Mieke was in. This was a sign to them that she would not have the same fate as Mieke, but that her sister was watching over her.

For 101 days the nurses and doctors cared for Esmi and she grew stronger by the day.

“It was wonderful, the nurse that would look after Esmi each day would come to introduce herself as Esmi’s mom for the day,” says Ester. “I knew she would look after her just as well as I would.”

On June 3 the Bouchers received the news they were looking forward to most – Esmi would be coming home the next day.

“There was a supernatural calm. We could not wait to have her with us.”

The news broke with tears of joy. On June 4, the original birth date and the anniversary of Mieke’s goodbye, Esmi saw the sunlight for the first time.

“The happiest part for us is that we are now truly going to be parents,” says Ester. “We are now going to be a family.” Esmi is to them, tying in with her name, a gift from God.

Michael and Ester want to thank the doctors and staff of the Clinton, but they feel a simple thank you would never be enough.

“They did so much more for us than we ever expected,” says Michael. “They were always there for us. They were sent out of the hand of God to teach us something. We sincerely hope their experience with Esmi taught them something as well.”

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