Personal Stories from New Virtua Parents

A Dream Come True

Brielle—5 months old
Parents—Meghan and Tom from Washington Township

Pregnancy didn't come easy for Meghan. But, after 7 years and many tears, she found out she was expecting at age 35. Meghan was considered high risk because of her age and high blood pressure, so she was referred to Virtua’s Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) practice. Throughout her pregnancy, she met weekly with MFM specialist Dr. Ronald Librizzi, whom she says was like family to her and her husband Tom. “I knew he cared about us when he hugged me after every appointment,” says Meghan. On March 3, 2017, Meghan gave birth at Virtua to their beautiful little girl, Brielle. “Our lives are now complete. I have thanked my doctors so many times for what they have done for our family, but words just aren’t enough. My Virtua medical team made my every dream come true.” 

All Natural Since Day One

Colin—3 weeks old
Parents—Amy and Steve from Tabernacle, NJ

Amy had her first child in 2015 and joined Virtua’s breastfeeding support group. She became fast friends with 5 women in the program, one of whom was Virtua labor and delivery nurse Jamie. As fate would have it, Jamie was working OB triage the night Amy went into labor with Colin a year and a half later.

Amy says words cannot describe how much it meant to her to have Jamie at the hospital that night. “Jamie knew of my desire to have Colin via natural childbirth. It worked well with my first son and for me in terms of mobility and breastfeeding, and I wanted that again. Jamie helped make it happen. Virtua made this all possible—from meeting Jamie at the breastfeeding support group and becoming lifelong friends to having her as my OB triage nurse and assisting in Colin’s delivery. Our experience is a true testament to the love, care and support Virtua offers.”

Third Time’s a Charm-er

Isaiah—6 months
Parents—Paris and Isaac from Washington Township, NJ

Being pregnant was nothing new for Virtua nursing director Paris. She was already mom to a 16-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son when she found out she was expecting again. However, this time around she was 36 years old and considered high-risk, so her OB/GYN referred her to Virtua’s Maternal Fetal Medicine practice where she and her baby were monitored during the remainder of her pregnancy. Paris sailed through her trimesters without complications and before she knew it, her delivery day arrived.

“Everything went smoothly during delivery,” recalls Paris. “Isaiah was born at 7:34am at 9lbs 10oz. The nurses and doctors were wonderful. Everyone was helpful and kind. My stay went well and I was grateful for that. It was like they say, ‘the third time is a charm.’” Judging by the size of Isaiah’s dimples it looks like her third time is more of a charm-er.

Twinning! 

Joey and Billy—3 weeks 
Parents—Gwen and Bill from Marlton, NJ

After a loss in January 2012, Virtua nurse Gwen and her husband, Bill, had trouble getting pregnant again. But in the fall of 2016, that all changed.  “I’ll never forget getting the call that I was pregnant. I remember having a feeling that it was twins, and I was right!” recalls Gwen. Because she was over age 35  and carrying multiples, high-risk specialists at Virtua Maternal Fetal Medicine closely monitored her. “I loved Dr. Ron Librizzi from my first appointment.” she says with a smile. “He told us to call him ‘Uncle Ron.’” Aside from some morning sickness, Gwen’s pregnancy went well until July 5, 2017, when it was discovered that she had high blood pressure and preeclampsia. After considering the many risks associated with both conditions—such as seizure, stroke and organ damage—doctors decided to perform an emergency cesarean section on Gwen. Thankfully, she was full-term and just shy of her scheduled c-section date, so her baby boys—Billy and Joey—didn't need to spend any time in the NICU. 

Unfortunately, 9 days after the birth, Gwen was hospitalized for preeclampsia again. While Gwen was sad to leave the twins at home, she knew they were in good hands. And so was she. "Being admitted to the high risk obstetrics unit with preeclampsia after delivery was upsetting, especially with newborns at home,” says Gwen. “But my OB nurses were absolutely amazing. They made me proud to be a nurse. “ 

Mom, dad, and babies are now home, happy and healthy.

Worth the Wait

Harper and Hudson—5 months old
Parents—Lauren and Zack from Washington Township, NJ

When Lauren was pregnant with twins, she went into preterm labor at 24 weeks, and her doctor put her on modified bedrest. Five weeks later, she started cramping. She immediately went to Virtua where the doctors and nurses worked to stop her contractions to avoid premature delivery, but despite their best efforts, Lauren continued to dilate. The decision was made to perform an emergency cesarean section at 30 weeks to ensure the safety of her and her babies. In no time, Lauren and her husband, Zack, welcomed their baby boy, Hudson, and their baby girl, Harper. Following delivery, Hudson and Harper were admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at Virtua NICU where they remained for 59 days and 98 days respectively. While their entrance into this world was early and emotional, Lauren is grateful for the care her babies received from the CHOP at Virtua team. “I loved all of my nurses there. My babies are thriving because of the wonderful people in the NICU. The care was the best of the best!”

Updated April 24, 2018