THE SMALLEST OF THE SMALL
Royal Columbian Hospital is among the country’s top neonatal centres
She is able to joke now that it was a sneeze, and not a push, that led to her daughter’s birth. But at the time, Nobue Yamaguchi Jones was stunned that it happened at only 25 weeks pregnant. Equally shocking was just how small the newborn girl was – 380 grams, just over three quarters of a pound. Lillian Yamaguchi Jones became the smallest baby ever under the care of Royal Columbian Hospital’s neonatal intensive care team.
Nobue was admitted to the hospital after an exam unexpectedly revealed she was dilating. The contractions started soon after.
Having undergone in vitro fertilisation, the Coquitlam resident and nurse had been attuned to the potential complications of a pregnancy. But this was all happening so fast.
Just before midnight, the situation became much more urgent. That’s when Nobue sneezed.
“She basically poked out,’ she says. “The water didn’t break. But something dropped. The doctor came and said it’s the sac. And one of Lillian’s hands was out.”
As the medical team made plans for an emergency C-section, Nobue and her husband Ennis tried to remain calm. Nobue vividly remembers one doctor taking her by the hand to tell her she was doing great. That’s when all her emotions came to the surface.
“I just burst into tears,” she recalls.
The neonatal intensive care team quickly took over care of Lillian after she was born.
“380 grams, that’s quite small,” notes neonatologist Dr. Vinod Kesavan. “It’s extremely small, actually. When you look worldwide, it’s also very rare.”
The care for babies of that size is complex, and survival is very much a question. Royal Columbian Hospital’s Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, with a well-earned reputation as one of the country’s top centres, is one of four in the province with the experience to support extremely premature babies.
Lillian spent the next 156 days under the care of the neonatal team. Gradually, the newborn became stronger and healthier.
Nobue has high praise for the care given to Lillian and the entire family.
“They treated me as a parent,” she says. “They treated me as a team member.”
Two years later, Nobue says her little girl is doing great. “I’m just enjoying how she is doing and how happy she is.”
Donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation play a critical role in supporting neonatal care. To donate, visit www.rchfoundation.com or call 604.520.4438