THIS IS OUR HAPPY ENDING

AND BEAUTIFUL NEW BEGINNING

ALL IN ONE !!

I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I first heard this incredible man’s voice at 15 weeks pregnant.

Before him.. there was no hope. We were told Maurice had a devastating brain disease and that Peter had a severe heart condition in additional to facial abnormalities. They told us my sons had “multiple congenital anomalies” and we were told from a very well know maternal fetal medicine specialist at one of the best hospitals in NYC “ at this point most people just SCRAP the pregnancy and start fresh.” On top of all this the umbilical cord was missing a vessel and Maurice was 75% smaller than Peter and hanging off the placenta. We were in the very early stages of twin to twin transfusion syndrome and I had an anterior placenta ( this can make the surgery more complicated) Each visit , 3 different maternal fetal medicine specialists at the number one hospital in Manhattan continued to give a more horrid prognosis. When I asked about my developing twin to twin transfusion syndrome I was told bluntly “ we do not operate on unhealthy babies…” As the doctor walked out of the room. That was when I broke. All of this was only diagnosed through very early ultrasound. These conclusions they made were without a fetal echo or brain MRI.. yet they continued week after week to stress that my babies were suffering from “some genetic abnormality being expressed differently between them” and It is highly unlikely I will even have one healthy baby. It was made very very clear that at the very least I should “selectively reduce “ aka abort Maurice my baby B in order to “ save baby a”… after a few more weeks even that was seen as a poor option because of the heart condition they “saw” in Peter.

We were given no hope ..I desperately pleaded to other mothers who had similar complicated twin pregnancies in a social media group. I called the TTTS foundation and spoke with the founder Mary. I was given Dr Ruben Quintero’s cell phone number. An angel messaged me late Palm Sunday night and said “ if anyone can help you .. it is him.” I called and he answered. He spent over 2 hours talking to me that night… he said “ I cannot promise you your babies are ok.. but I will do everything possible.” There was no false hope … he gave me facts and educated me about the disease .. there was kindness and such humanity .. such love… how much his work meant to him… how much his babies meant to him. It was the first time anyone told me that they may be ok… it was the first time I was able to image holding my sons in my arms.

I almost didn’t believe it and called back the next day so my husband could hear … James knew as well .. we had no other choice but to go to Miami and meet Dr Ruben Quintero. We were on a plane that night and saw him first thing in the morning.

That choice will forever be the moment that changes our lives. Our sons are here because of him.. because of his incredible team…

He is genius a Yale graduate known for creating the field of operative fetoscopy. He develops surgeries that can be performed in utero. He has invented serval surgical procedures including the amniopatch and SLPVC ..the surgery that saved my boys when they suffered from twin to twin transfusion syndrome. His latest is a fetoscopic repair spina bifida. His inventions and new surgical techniques gives hope to people who have none. He saves babies. Because of him they are given a chance … and women given a chance to become a mother. It is his passion … and his is a genuine healer and we are blessed to have found him.

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for him and for my miracle babies. He is not only their doctor but also a friend. He has true joy seeing his babies grow.

This is the moment when we all met our superhero. This is the moment I have dreamed of for so so long. The amount of gratitude we have for him can never be put into words. We are planning a reunion for all the mothers and babies he has saved.

Thank you Dr Ruben Quintero and Dr Eftichia Kontopoulos for you devotion to medicine and to our babies. We are so blessed.