Wren’s Story
O Warrior Stories
Written by: Jamie Till
Wren Margaret Yanez was born on September 13, 2023 at 12:09 pm weighing 6lbs 5oz and 19 inches long! She was born at 37 weeks via scheduled C-Section with a Giant Omphalocele containing full liver and partial intestines. We found out at the 20 week ultrasound of her Omphalocele diagnosis. We did an amniocentesis and genetic testing but ultimately put it in God’s hands. The amniocentesis and genetic testing were a stressful time but after all the testing they could do, everything came back normal. This was God’s sign that she was going to be just fine! We were referred to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas where a team of doctors managed the care of my pregnancy. We had appointments monthly and eventually turned into weekly appointments. My husband and I began staying at the Ronald McDonald house at 35 weeks due to us living almost 2 hours away from the hospital.
We knew from the beginning that Wren would be in the NICU immediately after birth. We were mentally prepared for Wren to be on oxygen, but she surprised us all by only needing a CPAP mask with room air. After 48 hours, the CPAP mask was removed and we celebrated that milestone being checked off the list. While in the NICU we are doing the “paint and wait'' technique. The doctors suggested that “paint and wait” was going to be the best option for Wren. Paint and Wait is a longer process and surgery isn't done to repair the Omphalocele until the child is older. Silvadene cream is "painted" on the O and then it is wrapped with gauze. As time goes by, skin begins to form on the O. Then if the child is doing well, compression of the bandages can be done gradually each day. This forces the contents of the Omphalocele back into the abdomen. If this is accomplished successfully, then surgery can be done to close the muscle tissue and remove the extra skin. Once discharged from NICU, we will continue the omphalocele care at home until it’s time for closure surgery. The first 4 weeks she was only given TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) and lipids. At 5 weeks, they started her on breastmilk and have gradually increased it a few times a week. The next goal is to discontinue the TPN. In the next few weeks, the compression wrap will be applied to see if she can tolerate along with feedings. We are counting our blessings and looking forward to being discharged from NICU. She’s a tiny but mighty little warrior and I’m so glad we believed in her from the start. She has made it clear that the world needs her.
