After Apollo's cranial ultrasound, our neonatal doctor informed us that the reason for our baby Apollo's swelling on his head is that he has IVH (Intraventricular Hemorrhage) Grade 4. In addition to this, the cranial ultrasound showed that baby Apollo has hydrocephalus. Because of these findings, the chances of him having Cerebral Palsy is between 80-92%. Apart from this, our neonatal doctor also informed us that our baby Apollo will have ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) which indicates that he will be blind. This information overwhelmed us in the most excruciating possible way. Both as parents and individuals, we find it difficult on how to respond and process the situation.

Already overwhelmed with the information mentioned above, it didn't stop there... His stomach was having discoloration which indicated that something was wrong with his digestion. His arms were also starting to stiffen as part of the many complications he had. At that point, his doctor started explaining how bad his overall condition was. As parents who are actively and aggressively continuing to find ways on how else we could help and save our baby, Apollo’s doctor told us to secure bags of plasma for another transfusion. In addition to plasma, Apollo was also prescribed with three (3) vials of IVIG, which we believe would aid his immunity. His antibiotics were also changed to a more potent or stronger dosage to have a more substantial effect on his infections. At this point, the only thing running through our minds was to make sure we give him all the doctor asked for.

Fortunately, we were able to get 3 bags of plasma from General Emilio Aguinaldo Memorial Hospital with the assistance of Binakayan Hospital and Medical Center's (BHMC) laboratory staff. We were also able to source out IVIG from De La Salle Medical Center after coordinating with NICU's referred medical representative. After the successful transfusion and administration of his recent medicines, Apollo's condition was gradually improving. But even with this development, the prognosis based on his cranial ultrasound still persists and continues to leave us anxious.

After learning that Apollo's condition got a little better, it has been two (2) days ago since we were informed that his IV attachment is not sustainable. From the original umbilical attachment of IV, they moved it to his leg due to the clogging/closure of the former. This will keep on occurring since his veins are too small to sustain the continuous flow of IV. With this, we are now in search of a pediatric surgeon who can work on Apollo's central IV line. This should address the recurrence of reattaching his IV from time to time. Unfortunately, the pediatric surgeon here at BHMC could not perform the procedure due to our baby Apollo’s very low birth weight which indicates that he is very small. We would need to scout for a pediatric surgeon as soon as possible who would be willing to travel to Binakayan Hospital and Medical Center. If we're unable to find a someone who can travel to BHMC and perform the surgery, we might resort to transferring him to Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC).

Up to this day, we’re still left undecided with either transferring Apollo or not. Moving to AHMC will address the concern of looking for someone to perform central IV line surgery and would possibly ensure higher availability of other medical equipment, supplies, and staff for our baby Apollo’s medical needs. However, this implies that our expenses will be tenfold, our commutes will be longer (and more expensive), and more importantly, putting our baby Apollo at a higher risk by transporting him in long distance — which might cause him to expire. On the other hand, staying in BHMC would mean we need to continue looking for a pediatric surgeon who can perform aforementioned operation, and quite frankly we are running out of means to find one; if we don't address this anytime soon, Apollo will eventually run out of workable veins for securing his IV attachment.