Those of you who follow Hurt by Homebirth will be familiar with the story of Sam’s brain injury and his mother’s near death.
Sam’s mother Tina experienced a life-threatening abruption at home and transferred to the hospital. According to Sam’s father Frank:
…The doctors decided to prep for the emergency c-section, as this was being done Tina had the opportunity to push and push she did just before they were going to begin moving her to the O.R. Samuel was born vaginally @ 4:00 AM. Blue and not breathing the nurses began working on him, massaging “bagging” him for his breathing. I never did hear him cry…
After the birth Tina’s blood would not clot, another term I heard was “DIC”, which has to do with the inability of the blood to clot. 4:30 AM the decision was made to take Tina to the OR- losing a lot of blood- possible hysterectomy. Called to lab for blood, none available. Tina lay bleeding on the operating table for the next 1 ½ to 2 hours, basically bleeding to death…
OK, so about 7:00am the doctors come out and tell me that Tina’s hemoglobin has risen to 6 – still dangerously low but rising … – Tina still alive. There is hope, doctors decided against hysterectomy after a lot of consult with other doctors at other hospitals. If in fact they had opened her up she would have bled out on the table. GOD granted the doctors and nurses the wisdom to not operate.
Tina made a complete recovery. Sam was not so fortunate.
According to his aunt Candice:
Sam began to seize early morning, May 19th. The NICU doctors told me that the baby was being transported to Memorial Hermann, downtown Houston Medical Center for an EEG and further evaluation.
To summarize my nephew’s status, the EEG, (electroencephalogram) taken within 24 hours revealed that his entire brain had been affected by the lack of oxygen due to the loss of blood that he had sustained. A MRI was completed and read one week after admission and clearly delineated that there was global brain damage which confirmed the results from the EEG.
We celebrated when his pupils constricted (even though they were sluggish), when exposed to light via an ophthalmoscope because that meant he was not brain dead. There was a response. We were happy to hear that the sedation medication, Phenobarbital and Ativan, were maintained at adequate levels in order to keep the brain from seizing. It was critical to have the brain rest so it could recover and heal to whatever extent he was capable of. We were so glad to have him taken off the respiratory equipment (CPAP) days after the incident because given time, he was able to take deep enough breaths to satisfy his blood oxygen levels. He could breathe on his own!
In conclusion, my nephew has been diagnosed with severe encephalopathy due to a hypoxic ischemic event or HIE.
Sam’s parents brought charges against the midwife in the Texas Board of Midwifery. The Board acknowledged that she had failed to immediately transfer Sam’s mother despite evidence of abruption. The punishment? Six months probated suspension.
Sam’s family, including two older sisters, took him home and loved him … and got lots of love in return.
I received an email from Tina the day before yesterday:
We lost Sam during his sleep 4/26/2013 due to aspiration.
The autopsy ruled that it was directly related to his labor/birth injuries.
We had a celebration of Sam’s life on 5/18/2013……..what would have been his 3rd birthday. Our family is heartbroken yet due to our Christian faith, we do rejoice for Sam. He is now free of all limitations……..fully restored as God had originally intended.
Sam never talked, sat up, crawled, stood, walked, used arms/hands purposefully. He was completely dependent on us for his care. He was orally fed but it was always a challenge and he never had enough caloric intake so most of his nutrition was by PediaSure/Boost…….Sam was still on a bottle.
He was our sweet, precious little boy. He seemed very aware and interested in his surroundings………..had a twinkle in his eyes and a huge smile…………wonderful laugh/giggle. He knew all of his family and those involved in his daily care/weekly therapy.
Tina shared Sam’s obituary:
Samuel Frank Comstive 2, of Richmond, TX ran through the gates of Heaven into the awaiting arms of Jesus Christ during the wee morning hours of Friday, 4/26/2013.
Sam was born to Frank and Tina Comstive on May 18, 2010. He was welcomed into the family by his big sisters, Rose and Lily. Caring for a child with special needs was the hardest challenge our family had ever endured yet there was much joy and reward. Sam impacted so many lives in such a short period of time although due to his disabilities, never spoke a word. Sam brought together a group of ladies that have formed a support group for families of children with special needs….The Special Mom’s Group.
Sam loved people and they were all drawn to him. Sam had a smile that could brighten the darkest room and a light in his eyes that reflected the love of Jesus. Sam’s last day on this earth was spent with people that loved him the most. He was greeted in the morning by his Daddy and played with…”daddy-style”. Sam was smiling from ear to ear and giggling as they played. He then spent a few hours at the Fort Bend Shriners circus where he was the only person in the crowd to receive a clown nose from one of the clowns. Sam continued to enjoy the rest of the day surrounded by loved ones.
The autopsy report concluded that Sam’s passing was directly related to the injuries he sustained during labor/birth. Sam aspirated during his sleep. Aspiration was one of the many threats to Sam’s health due to his injuries. It appears that Sam never awoke. What a blessing!!! To spend the day with the ones you love, close your eyes and walk into the arms of your Heavenly Father…the one that loves us most.
Sam had a purpose. (Romans 8:28) Sam fulfilled his purpose and God took him home in order to spare him any further hardships due to his disabilities. Our family is positive that Sam was greeted with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Our family is heartbroken yet we find comfort in knowing that Sam’s body has been fully restored as God had originally intended. Sam can now walk, run, dance, talk, sing, etc. Glory to God!
Left behind to treasure our time with Sam are his parents-Frank and Tina Comstive and sisters-Rose and Lily … paternal grandmother,.. paternal grandfather,.. maternal grandfather,.. and caregiver Adriana .. and her son Angel… Sam was also loved by his extended family members. One of many to greet Sam at Heaven’s gates was his maternal grandmother…
We will have a celebration of Sam’s life on what would have been his 3rd birthday, May 18. We will have birthday cake!… One of the best blessings in our life is Adriana … “Ms. A” has helped us love Sam for the past 2.5 years. She loved Sam as her own and he loved her. She is forever part of our family…
Rest in peace, sweet Sam.
