Whaleyz
Tammy




Hi, my name is Tammy. I live in Michigan. I am 32 years old and have been married to Dale for 12 1/2 wonderful years...we have a terrific son Jarrod, he is 11 1/2...He is a great kid! He loves sports and most of all he loves his baby sister! She was what he says "his best birthday present ever"! Taylor was due on Jarrod's birthday...but she was a C-section baby and delivered 2 weeks early on August 18th, 1997. Jarrod is a great big brother! He was so excited about the arrival of his new baby. I remember leaving for the hospital, to have my C-section, on the early morning hours of August 18th and telling him, "now don't forget to bring the car seat with you on Thursday so we can bring the new baby home!" (Of course no one expected the complications that awaited us) It about broke my heart when he was kissing me good-bye on Wednesday night (after his sister was born and in NICU of the hospital...he says to me "When I come back up to the hospital tomorrow I won't forget to bring up the car seat Mom!" This about killed me...how do you know how much information you should tell your other children when dealing with a situation as this?? And how was I supposed to tell him that she wasn't coming home and we have NO idea when she will be able to!! It was really hard on Jarrod. He didn't understand why this was happening to his baby sister. He was in love with her and all he wanted was for her to come home! I really had a hard time getting him to go to school or getting him to go anywhere without her! He just didn't want to leave her side. He is so protective of her. And would worry so much of what "might" happen while he was away from her. It really took a lot and one day I just sat him down and told him everything I knew and gave him the opportunity to ask whatever questions he wanted...this seemed to help and his school attendance became better. Today Jarrod plays many sports at school, his favorites would be, football, basketball and baseball. Jarrod is the best big brother Taylor could have...They are crazy about each other!


Taylor Lynn - 2 weeks old, Jarrod Allen - 9 yrs old


My 2 Sweeties
Jarrod- 11 & Taylor - 2

Here is Taylor's story:
On August 18th my little girl, Taylor Lynn was born. Her birth was anxiously awaited by all family members...but what followed was completely unexpected! When Tay was born, there were serious complications that no one ever imagined possible! I had Taylor by C-Section & I knew right after she was born that something was very wrong. They called the pediatrician in STAT and I couldn't see her...it took several minutes before I even heard her make a peep! Then she finally cried! And DH gave me a quick glance of her and than took her out of the OR. My heart sank...and I was VERY scared!! I was very fortunate to have all of my family with me. I can remember so very clearly, the OB Dr. coming into my room and telling me (as my Mom held one of my hands and my husband held the other) that my daughter was being transferred to the NICU unit of Devos Children's Hospital...He said "We don't know what is wrong with her, but it looks like some sort of syndrome." I was devastated! I just couldn't believe it! When the Neonatal team arrived for Taylor they brought her to my room for me to hold and see for the very first time! I loved every short second I got to hold her! I hated to give her back to them...to take! She should have been here with me! This wasn't supposed to happen...I did everything right in my pregnancy!! But I knew in my heart that she was going to a very good hospital where she would be taken great care of! And I kissed her and handed her back to the Nurse practitioner...she promised me that she would call me as soon as they arrived at the Children's hospital! Dale and all of my sisters stayed with me and both my Mom and Dale's Mom went to be with Taylor. (As this was my one request!!) She needed someone who loved her to be with her! To let her know she was going to be just fine! Not to mention those two Grandma's weren't about to let their Grand Daughter OUT of their sight!! They were so wonderful!! My sister stayed the night with me at the hospital and never left my side for a minute! I would have fell to pieces had she not been there with me!


Taylor Lynn Whaley
Just Born 8/18/97
This is our little girl minutes after her birth.

I was kept pretty semi sedated...although I can remember all the DR's from the NICU calling me and giving me updates on Taylor and asking for authorization for different procedures and tests they were going to do on her. They were very good about calling me and letting me know how she was doing, and also they left me the phone number of Taylor's bedside nurse whom I could call anytime day or night. Well, this wasn't good enough!! I had to see and be with my baby! I had Tay by C-section on a Monday and discharged myself from the hospital on a Wednesday morning. The hospital she was in was over 70 miles from where I was....once again our family came thru for us...even my sister from Florida, she flew up to Michigan to be with us. Once we arrived at the hospital I was taken up to see her and my heart just ached for her! She was hooked up to every kind of machine possible! She was unconscious for that whole day due to all the tests they ran on her...biopsy and MRI's and CT's...bone scans...you name it they did it! I put my hand thru the little holes in the incubator and... I took her little hand ... I told her Mommy was here and I made her a promise -- a promise that I would always be there for her...to hold her little hand! Well, the next day Taylor woke up and was taken off the respirator - 2 days earlier than they had planned! What a fighter she was...and still is! I got to hold my little Angel on Earth! Oh, it felt so good!! I Love her so much!! She was in the Neonatal ICU for 10 days. Taylor had a very large and extensive tumor (plexiform neurofibroma) that pushes up against her brain and wraps around almost every bone and nerve on the left side of her skull and face! This tumor started to grow early in pregnancy and caused deformities in her skull and face...it grew in place of bone, it grew with and around nerves and blood vessels. We were told that Taylor's tumor was so extensive that it would always be a part of her, although the biopsy came back benign, I remember the DR's words oh so clearly. "Taylor's tumor is like opening a can or worms, it wraps around every nerve and blood vessel in its way. Her case is the worse we have ever seen and it would almost be better if she had cancer....at least her tumor would react to more medications" Well, saying this was like he took a knife and cut my heart out!! I was completely devastated!!

Taylor has sacrificed a lot! Her tumor affects her brain, hearing, vision, air passage, teeth and the entire left side of her face. When she was 4 days old she was put on interferon treatment in hopes of shrinking and/or keeping this tumor stable. 2 years later she was switched to Thalidomide and she continues to be on this medication. She is a very uncommon and unique case...and has both baffled and surprised all of her DR's.

On October 12, 1997, Taylor had a stroke, she spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Once again we were devastated...what else could possibly go wrong and why was this happening to OUR baby!! With the Love and support of a great family and the dedication of all her amazing DR's and many answered prayers from God, we made it thru. And Taylor came out stronger than ever!! What a little miracle baby she is!! This really changed her, she no longer cried EVER!! She was such a happy baby, it was almost as if this stroke was meant to happen...for it really gave DR's some answers to a lot of unanswered questions about her.


This is Taylor at 8 weeks old ... she is in the hospital recovering from her strokes.

Today Taylor is 2 1/2 years old...all she has been through she cannot crawl or walk yet...her motor skills are greatly affected by all this, but she is getting therapy and will be there in no time! In January of 2000 she had her very first surgery to remove a part of her tumor. She came thru with flying colors!! Some of her favorite things are Barney, Barney and Barney...she just loves to watch Barney! She can say a few words and scoots and rolls everywhere she wants to go!! We thank God every day for this precious baby...we are so very happy to have her and I still whisper in her ear every day,"Mommy loves you very much and I promise to always be there for you" Taylor is my miracle! She is such a good, happy baby! The kind you fall in love with the first time you see her! She was blessed by a loving family! Just as we are blessed by her! Angels gave her to her mama...and she is our little miracle girl. Well, that is our story of our little girl...Taylor Lynn, our gift from God. Here is a special poem I wrote just for my precious girl.


Taylor 3 Monts Old