02/09/2021
Hey Everyone. I would like to share the full story of Elijah and his parents, Wes Wells and Allison Hardy Wells.
The past four years has been incredible test of faith for my family. A rollercoaster of fertility complications has brought about some of the most emotional moments of our lives; some heartbreaking, and others rejoiceful.
Our story began with Isaac, my oldest nephew. After multiple attempts, Wes and Allison were unknowingly blessed with their first pregnancy. Infertility issues, coupled with an extremely rare complication masked the normal early signs and symptoms of pregnancy. After confirming pregnancy with Allison’s OBGYN, the joy of the miracle for which they had prayed so diligently was quickly turned to panic. She and Wes were given the news that Isaac was unable to produce amniotic fluid, the reasons were not yet clear. Quickly, consults and extensive testing with some of the top fetal specialists in the country yielded some answers. A bladder outlet obstruction prevented urine from draining from Isaac’s bladder. Aside from preventing amniotic fluid production, this caused abnormally large swelling of Isaac’s bladder and kidneys, which made the development of other organs very difficult. The procedure to treat this was very risky and took multiple attempts before it was successfully performed. Allison was then quickly taken to Cincinnati, OH for an experimental medical trail where she and Isaac received multiple artificial amniotic infusions. On August 23, 2017, Isaac made his grand entrance into the world. Despite all of the medical miracles, Isaac’s time with us was brief. The grief of his loss was absolutely tremendous and is still felt by all of us.
The resilience shown by Allison and Wes was inspiring! Though their faith was tested to the most extremes, they never lost faith in God. The preexisting fertility complications that plagued them was now exacerbated by the difficulties of Allison’s first pregnancy, but they persevered and were finally blessed with their second pregnancy, a son named Will! Every precaution was taken to ensure this pregnancy would go as smoothly as possible. They were reassured that Isaac’s complication was extremely rare and there was next-to-no chance that Will could have the same difficulties as his older brother. But as Will grew, the doctors started to notice a problem on ultrasound with one of Will’s kidneys and ureter. The words from the Pediatric Urologist left everyone horrified. Will had the same complication as Isaac, only in a slightly different location. His right kidney was unable to drain, however his left kidney was healthy. On October 7, 2020, Allison and Wes welcomed Will to the world. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), a hereditary renal disease, runs in Wes’s family. And though they had been reassured that PKD could not be causing the problems shared by Isaac and Will, the fact that Will could lose a kidney and potentially face the complications of PKD later in life was terrifying. Allison and Wes bravely replaced their devastation with hope by trusting the Lord. Will underwent a ureterostomy to allow his kidney to drain, and hopefully prevent further damage. The surgery was a complete success and is scheduled to be reversed on October 12th of this year. The procedure not only prevented further damage, but has allowed for Will’s kidney to heal 100%!
Content with the numerous blessings provided by God, Wes and Allison have happily raised their miracle baby! Suddenly, Allison noticed some signs of pregnancy, but thought to be impossible. She had been told that after having Will, she was no longer able to have children without extensive, invasive medical fertility treatment. However, she was indeed pregnant! Immediately we all rejoiced! Her early OBGYN appointments showed a nearly flawless pregnancy, and everything was going as it should be. Finally, on August 23, 2021, Isaac’s fourth birthday, it was time to find out if Isaac and Will were going to have a little brother or a sister. But the anatomy scan yielded a devastating result. The same surgeon that had performed an operation on Isaac gave Allison and Wes the news that their new baby boy, Eli, had an even more severe form of the bladder obstruction that Isaac had. They were immediately scheduled an appointment in Cincinnati, OH for further consultation. They drove through the night to meet the team made up of the same physicians that cared for Allison and Isaac. They worked diligently on a plan of care for Eli. But further tests concluded that no amount of earthly medicine could allow for Eli to successfully continue his development. Allison then experienced early labor that was able to be controlled by the medical team, but they will be unable to continue to prevent labor for the severe risks it poses to Allison. The team of physicians have arranged for further care to be provided by the UAB Maternal-Fetal Medicine group. Within the very near future Eli will be born, but in his current developmental phase and state, Eli will only survive for a very brief time on this earth before he will be welcomed to his Heavenly home. With the current severe restrictions of visitors at the hospital, Allison and Wes will have to face this tragic event a second time, but without the support of the rest of their family by their side.
The question we have all asked ourselves repeatedly is, Why? Why is this continuing to happen? Why to this precious family, who was endured more tragedy than anyone should have to? Medical science is ever-evolving. What is considered the standard of care now will be obsolete very soon. Previously, it had never been recorded that this complication had ever occurred to the same family three times, only occurring twice to one or two other families. Coincidence is not widely accepted within the medical community, and now that an anomaly has been discovered, researchers want to perform further testing to see what is causing this complication to repeatedly occur. The results of the research could help prevent this from occurring again to our family. There is a possibility that the genetic cause of this could be carried by several members of our family, including Will and his cousin, Lexi. Along with the emotional toll of all of the preceding events, the financial toll for the trip to Cincinnati and for additional genetic testing has been quite profound. If you are able to help this family, please consider doing so, not only monetarily, but primarily with prayers for enduring strength and comfort during the ongoing grieving process.
https://givesendgo.com/G27Y7
