Allen’s Nek Covid-19 survivor welcomes baby boy
The Brink family can visit their newest member for one hour a day until his discharge, which they are slightly disappointed by, but they understand the reasoning behind the limited visits.
This year has been a test of willpower, equanimity, and strength for most of the world. The coronavirus and lockdown have taken their toll on everyone, but the skill of seeing light at the end of the tunnel is one we should all be working on.
For the Brink family, despite several problems, light was found in eagerly awaiting the birth of their second son.
Read initial article here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2020/04/16/pregnant-roodepoort-mother-tells-her-covid-19-story-on-the-brink-of-catastrophe
About one week after the nationwide coronavirus lockdown began, Morgan Brink received news that she had tested positive for the virus 22 weeks into her pregnancy. She was even more shocked to find that she had traces of malaria in her blood. The pandemic was still in its early stages in South Africa, and Morgan and her husband Ruan were worried about what effect the virus may have on their unborn son.
The dust settled slightly with Morgan’s full recovery and the fact that her baby was unharmed, but more obstacles arose shortly after. One month later, on 14 May, Morgan was back in the hospital 27 weeks into her pregnancy. Her water had broken and she feared her son was coming far earlier than she had expected, but doctors could thankfully close the rupture and deal with her painful contractions.
To add to the growing list of hospital visits, Morgan also suffered two infections after her preterm labour, bleeding at the 32-week mark, and she tripped and fell while walking (thankfully keeping her baby safe from impact).
After a far more eventful pregnancy than she had ever imagined and 10 Covid-19 tests, Morgan went into labour again on the night of Thursday, 9 July.
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2020/05/18/pregnant-covid-19-survivor-makes-it-through-another-unexpected-problem-at-27-weeksorpregnant-covid-19-survivor-cleared-another-hurdle
Doctors tried to stop the contractions and birth for the second time, but by the Saturday morning they were fearful of the little boy becoming distressed, and an emergency caesarean section was performed at 35 weeks. Luckily, Morgan and Ruan had both received their latest Covid-19 test results on time, so Ruan was able to be with his wife during the birth.
Morgan was still anxious about her son’s birth, despite being three weeks past the date doctors had initially hoped they could delay the birth to. Her worry soon turned into calmness and excitement, knowing that her son was in the best hands possible.
“A longer term would have been better, but knowing he made it to 35 weeks was a huge relief,” said Morgan.
At 11am on 11 July Xavien Brink was born, weighing 2,7kg. The little boy’s lungs had not fully developed, so initially he needed a bit of help to breathe. Xavien can now breathe on his own and was taken off oxygen on 14 July, the same day his mother was discharged from hospital. The little warrior also had mild jaundice so he underwent light therapy until 15 July, but is doing well other than that.
Even though Morgan has been discharged, Xavien will need to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for two to three weeks. The Brink family can visit their newest member for one hour a day until his discharge, which they are slightly disappointed by, but they understand the reasoning behind the limited visits.
The next step for Xavien is transitioning to being bottle-fed as he is currently being fed his mother’s milk through a tube. Morgan is setting her priorities on the safety of her two sons and getting her business back up and running after her maternity leave.
“My pregnancy was not an easy one, but what I have learned is: Listen to your doctor; they know best. Take it easy, and no matter what, your baby will come when he or she is ready.”
At home, three-year-old Jaxon is buzzing over the arrival of his new brother, saying he can’t wait to meet the baby. Morgan said that the ‘x’ in both her son’s names symbolises a kiss from her and her husband. The Brink family wish to express their gratitude for the love and support they have received from family, friends, and all the strangers who have come into their lives life during this time. “We could not have done this without you,” Morgan concluded.
