Tianna and Sean Young never imagined their third baby would experience an emergency requiring an early caesarean section and our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Tianna was pregnant during the COVID pandemic and was cautious as she had polyhydramnios, a medical condition describing an excess of amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac, which can put a baby at higher risk for health challenges.

When her active baby stopped moving in mid-December 2020, around two months before his due date, Tianna headed to the Regina General Hospital where she was taken to our Labour and Birth Unit, at the Rawlco Centre for Mother Baby Care.

There, a fetal monitor showed the baby’s heart rate was unstable. This meant our medical teams needed to closely monitor his heart and check other vital organs with ultrasound, in order to evaluate his condition. It was at this time her medical team shared unexpected news.

“I still think about the nurse I had. She was so comforting, so caring. She held my hand as the doctor gently explained to us that Cameron likely had Down syndrome,” says Tianna.

The next day, on the advice of her medical team, Tianna delivered Cameron by C-section. He was born early at 32 weeks.

Cameron was swiftly moved to our NICU as he struggled with breathing, a common condition with premature babies, and low muscle tone, a common issue in babies with Down syndrome. Our NICU medical team intubated Cameron and then, once he became stable, used a continuous positive airway pressure machine to push air into his little lungs and help them get stronger so he could breathe on his own.

“It was emotional and traumatizing to have all this happen so quickly,” Tianna says. “You place your trust in people you’ve never met, to care for your baby. Then you see how they hold them, how they talk to these tiny newborns, their patience, kindness and the way they nurture and love them and you know you are at the right place.”

After 41 days in hospital, the family took Cameron home with a tube under his nose to help increase the amount of oxygen available to him.

“It was a little scary at first,” Tianna says. “You don’t realize until you’re home just how much the nurses and doctors know and how calmly they respond while doing so many things that make such a big difference.”

Lisa Green, senior vice-president, Hospitals of Regina Foundation, says Cameron’s story illustrates the incredible work of our exceptional NICU team. “The doctors and nurses in our NICU care for 500 vulnerable babies each year. Thanks to our generous donors, our NICU teams have the best technology and equipment possible, so they may provide our tiniest patients with outstanding care.”

Today, Tianna and Sean continue to learn about Down syndrome, bringing Cameron to our Children’s Program at Wascana Rehabilitation Centre, for his current health care needs.

“His care will always be more complex, but everyone has been so lovely, patient and kind,” Tianna notes. “We are truly grateful for the tremendous support we received during his care – then and now.”