Congenital CMV
Submitted by Julie Renee King On June 23, 2004, I was scheduled to have my little girl. She was due the day before. I had no idea that my precious angel was in so much trouble. After an emergency delivery Kaydee Renee King was rushed to the nursery for Dr. Buie to examine her and tell us the news. She had congenital CMV. She had red spots all over her body, an enlarged liver and spleen, her head size was smaller than normal and her blood would not clot. Dr. Buie stabilized her and called UAB to come get her. She spent nine days at UAB. While there they confirmed the diagnosis of congenital CMV and put us in contact with the CMV department at Children’s. The CMV specialist spent a great deal of time with me to explain what we were faced with. The major issue was hearing loss. Kaydee has a severe to profound hearing loss. She had tubes put in her ears to remove the fluid, she had an ABR to confirm her hearing loss, she had an MRI of her head to make sure her inner ear was formed correctly and then she had a Cochlear Implant. The staff always made us feel welcome and took great care of my child! For about 18 months we traveled to the Children’s HEAR center for speech, audiology, and physical and occupational therapy once a week. It is a 7-8 hour drive round trip. Kaydee still has audiology at the HEAR center, but now her appointments are three months apart. I am forever thankful for the wonderful group of people who have touched our lives! When I think of Children's one thing comes to mind ... HOPE! I know that as long as there are places like Children's we can expect a brighter future for our children!
