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Hello to all of our wonderful friends and family...Please read this, and help by supporting us!!!

It’s that time of year again when we write asking you to dig deep into your pockets, and honor our wonderful triplet miracles…by sponsoring our participation in the annual March of Dimes: March For Babies!!! As you know, we feel very blessed and thankful to be able to do this walk WITH the boys every year, honoring their miraculous, thriving lives… instead of honoring their memories.
In addition to this annual walk, you may not know that I am deeply involved with the March of Dimes organization on a regular basis as a part of a nationwide joint project between The March of Dimes and Stony Brook Hospital’s NICU. I am on their Board Committee to help strategize ideas and provide support for other families trying to get through their own NICU journeys. Stony Brook is the wonderful hospital that we called home, for 4 ½ months after the boys were born. For anyone unfamiliar with their story…here is a very brief look at their journey.
Jackson, Logan, and Tristan Mazer came into this world quite unexpectedly due to severe pre-eclampsia, on September 2, 2003 at only 27 weeks 3 days gestation. Apparently I came to find out later that I had been in great danger. If my water hadn’t broken, my Dr. said that I probably wouldn’t have lived through the night. The boys were delivered via emergency c-section one minute apart from each other, and were whisked away very quickly to the NICU by a team of at least 15 people. Jackson Noah weighed 2lbs 3 oz, Logan Grant weighed 2lbs 12oz, and Tristan Blake weighed 2lbs 8oz. Jackson and Tristan both had initial APGAR scores of zero. All three boys were vented, and closely monitored. I had now entered a world that I never knew existed, called NICU….and felt like that by the time we left 4 ½ months later…that I had earned an honorary Doctorate Degree in Neonatology.
Each of the boys received Surfactant Therapy for their underdeveloped lungs (available b/c of the March of Dimes), and antibiotics for any infection they may have had. All three boys went under the Bili Lights to reverse the jaundice that had set in. As the days went on, I came to find that Jackson (the smallest of the trio), had a Grade 4 IVH (brain bleed). This is the worst grade. I was also told that he would probably never walk, and that he would have CP (neither came true). They later included PVL (Periventricular Leukomalacia) to the diagnosis along with the bleed. All three boys had holes in their hearts that had not closed, called PDAs. They each received multiple rounds of the drug Endomethycin to try to close the hole (available b/c of the March of Dimes). It worked after 2-3 rounds for Logan and Tristan, however not for Jackson. A Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon was brought in to do a PDA Ligation on him at just 3 weeks of age, and only 2 pounds. This surgery seemed to be a success.
The boys endured so much over their extended stays in the NICU…countless heel sticks, blood transfusions, pneumonia more than once, dangerous infections, PIC lines, IV’s everywhere, including their scalps, hypertension, Caffeine therapy for A’s & B’s, ROP, BPD, Colitis, and too much more! It was a whole month before I was even able to hold Jackson for the very first time, and two months before Jackson got off the vent!!!!
My one goal was for the boys to all be co-bedded in an open crib together before they came home. Logan and Tristan went back and forth on and off CPAP to Nasal Canulas and back again quite a few times, before they were finally able to go to open cribs. FINALLY Jackson got to join his brothers, although he was still on nasal canulas. Besides holding my babies for the first time, individually and then together…it was by far, my happiest NICU moment.
At this point Logan and Tristan would most likely be going home within a few days…but this was not to happen, because somehow Tristan got sick…REALLY sick. It was RSV, and four days later Jackson got it too. Back onto the vent and into isolation they went, and we almost lost both of them more than once. We still don’t know how Logan didn’t get it. Both boys were vented for about a month. It was literally like we were starting the WHOLE process over again. This time around, the conventional vent was not working. We were introduced to new things: the High Frequency Jet, the Oscillator, and Nitric Oxide (available b/c of the March of Dimes). Not to mention…Fentanol, Adavan, and Morphine as well as too many more to list. Tristan was slowly improving, but Jackson was not.
The worst moment occurred when I received a phone call at 5:00am from the attending Neonatologist, who told me to come in ASAP. They weren’t sure that Jackson would make it for much longer. There was talk of ECHMO, but didn’t think that he was strong enough to survive the transport into NY City. A specialist was brought in, and did some very unconventional things with the vent settings…
Miraculously Jackson started slowly improving throughout the day, and he never turned back. A month and a half later he was FINALLY ready to go home with oxygen and monitors.
Logan came home after a 3 month stay in the NICU. Tristan came home after 4 months, and Jackson came home after 4 ½ months…and stayed on his oxygen and monitors at home for another 4 months.
Although we are still dealing with many residual lung and sensory issues four years later, I have never felt more blessed or more thankful in my entire life for anything. My wonderful little miracles just started Pre-K for this year….their very first time going to school. My three precious miracles are the most amazing gifts from GOD, whom I thank everyday! I am forever indebted to The March of Dimes and the Staff at Stony Brook for saving my truly amazing boys’ lives!
Please click the link below to show your support of our tireless efforts to help other premature babies, like our amazing boys…have a chance at life….and to aid in providing the research necessary to help prevent premature births around the world. By the way….if you happen to be local, we would love for you to join us at the event. There is a link on our walk page where you can sign up.
With Much Love and Gratitude, Wendi and Stuart Mazer Jackson, Logan, and Tristan