Three years ago today, I woke up and went to work. I was a ninth grade high school math teacher. The weather man was calling for a bad snow storm in the next couple of days and I had my 36 week check-up. I called my doctor and they got me in at 3:00pm so I would not have to drive in the snow. I arrived to the doctor’s office and my name was called to go to the back. Little did I know, my life would change forever.

I went to the back and the doctor was doing her exam. She said, “Taylor, your going to have the baby today!”. Every thought and emotion was running through me. I asked if the baby was okay, if I was fine to deliver at the local hospital, if they would wait for my husband to get there. Before heading to the hospital, I had an ultrasound. Everything seemed fine with the baby. So off to the hospital I went.

I called everyone in my family and only my sister’s answered the phone. They met me at the hospital while we waited for Chad and the rest of the family to come. Around 7:00pm I went back into the operating room for a C-section (this was already the method of delivery).

At 7:17pm, Talynn Gurganus came into the world. I saw her for a brief second and then the nurses took her. She was blue, not breathing, not making any noises. I knew something was wrong. I was a wreck. I kept asking if Chad could be with her. They finally let him. They finished stitching me up and rolled my bed into the hallway.My OB and Talynn’s pediatrician were standing there. They told me that CHKD transport team was coming to get Talynn.

My head was spinning, I wanted to go but couldn’t. I wanted to hold my little girl, give her love, cuddle her, take pictures of her. Chad and my mom met me in my room. Tears were on everyone’s face. The moment in life when people are usually smiling, we all had tears. They had stood behind those glass windows. They saw our beautiful little girl struggling to breathe. They had watched everyone continuously attempt to draw blood but no one could get a vein. They saw everyone trying everything they knew but nothing was working. At midnight, CHKD transport brought Talynn in my room. This was the first time I had seen her since she was born. She had wires everywhere. Chad and I touched her little hand as she went away with the transport team.

Now, here we are three years later celebrating Talynn’s birthday.

Click here to read more about Talynn’s Journey.

Stay tuned for the birthday post 🙂