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8-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, July 20, 2004 CommnitvPAa jj87Àuie;te -28 1 Local couple learns just how fragile ife is Cotes have tin, outlook on life, appreciationftw hospitalsj6)llowiing baby's lîfe-threatening ordeal By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion U p until March of last year, life was rutnning smoohly for Dave and Brenda Cole. Wili hiirce healiby boys. gooci triends and a ness business ini ilie vorks. ihere w as nothiiig lufinit ai the niglilmare ibey w vere about lu corne tp agaînsi. *When the ('oies ltind oui Breuda w as espectintg a liile girl. theirjiiy only increased. But thetnis Cole hcgaii lu expcrieiice coiilcal ions. Thlec b.bw as coininig tbu sooi. B[(lre ilies kesst.ltile Kailicgb Sarah was hum. lits liard Iu picture thie size tiI a 23-wcek-tîld preemie %veighttîg * utile more iban a pouud. A bix ts ichoctilates. onlvlIîghîer. A liard- hall. îînly smaller. Now try explaintu tait Io threc ktds, who cau't s suib eir ne\, sîster ai tbe hîîspilal hecause ot'i ie SARS tiutbreak. Pcrhaps Dase anîd Bicucla Cole csjîlaiued ibeir lîîîy daughtcr hesi. -Put a stal orange on t hatiana:' lliey told ilieîr wide-eycul Sonus. That's boîw snuall Kailiegb Sarah loe w as w heu she was boni. danoerîuisly prenature. Aud so began the lîiglît iii ler le. Wîîh Kaîiltegh-Sairah's irst ihibay nis .îelv bctiiid her. Mr. andîsl ol e uctiiok a miomtenit to pîuîîdeî Ille li.it sc,îr a(theîlc'chla lenges -- ancl Wys --t s fielud. II wvas in rid-May of'I ast ycai tai Ms Cole wvas rîshed Io Miltonî District Hospital w lbt serîutus leeding. Site was lîîsîng al ber amniottetl]uid otndc was seult Ii McMasîer Hoispital in Hamilton, where she was îîrdcred lui stay in bcd untîl the baby came. With îhree sons under the age of 1l and a new husiness Mr. Cole had just staried, the timing was troublesume. lu say the Icasi. A week-and-a-half later, Kailiegh-Sarah was hum, smallem Ihan an adulî's hand. That's when the real nightmame began. Docturs told Mr. and Ms Cole that their daugbîer pmubahly wouldn'î live. In faci. she was given unly a 2(1 per cent chance oif suviving, and the couple was faced wîîb a difficult questiutn. "Our daugbîer ix flot a slalisttc. Yîîu doi cvcrything possbl," Mr. Cule bold ductors, silcnctng their oubîs. The third day uf Kailieghi-Sarah's litèe, she luîok a tum fotr the wumsî, and ber weigbî druppedtlu4 10 gams. 1I was scarcd because tif al the mochincry," Ms Cule said. "She was buuîked up lt su nuch. and I1clîiti t kîîuw wbaî atiy iiiil was for. " The faci that Ms Cole is a bcaltb care aide only made llitngs wumsc, she saîd. "Me hcîng in the bealîli systeim. 1 knew bcîw bacl il was." Ms Cule was sent hume aller a few days, andl su began a lite ibat. for the next six munths, wuuld include trekking back and t'ortli lu McMaster buspital. -11 used lu love hcaring the phone ring. Then 1 drcaded il." Ms * Little Kailiegh-Sarah Cole enjoys a pca moment wth her mom, Brenda. The now one-year- aid was bomn prematurely and welgh.d juat 510 grama et birth. Defylng statistice, KaIIegh-Sarah put Up a fight and puled through. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Cole satd. Il was gîîing tut ti the buspiîal. Il was guîng lticb bad news.- One drive tu the bîîspiîal stuck out in Mm. Cle's mind. Il was pîîuring ramn. I cîulutn't scec.nuit su muct furîthe ramn, but the crylng.- Kalicgb'Sarah's brotîhers wcren'î alluiweot hi sec ber until she ssas almutsît ive mîîntlîs (11(1 ticatise tifthe SARS uutbrcak. Ms Cole satd. At tîte age tiIsix tiîtntbs, w,%eighiiîg tour pounids. Kailiegb-Sarah woîs senl home. Atid sut bcgaîi their îîew lite as a famtily- a lufe that. Out ut îîeCeSSiîy. ceîtîrett orunttKailIicti-Sarah. Wttb îbree hboys in the hbouse, Kailieglt-Sarah was expuise o u iiiaiiy sruses and] bugs lier inîmlute sysîeuîî couldn'î ssard tilt. Maiiy limes she bad ti goi back Iothie tîtspital fuir exletîded vis- ils. The doîcîîrs and nurses aI Milton District Huospital gutItoi knoîw Ilîcîr daughter vM eryll. Ms Cule saict. "Thcy're so gîîud with ber. 'Ihey've heectiamnaing," she said. Friends tii the couple have pruveti invaluable, the Cules saict.i Wiîbuuî Ieir help minding Katliegh-Sarab. even a trip lu tbe A&P lu gel milk would bic iearly impossible. sîrîce the tuddlem needs lu have her oxygen tanks and equipmenî wberever she gues. With the worsî nuw bchind them, the Cules are luuking forward lu a bright future with their four ehildren. Kailiegh-Sarab bas a chrunie lung disease, but she shuuld ouut- gruw il in the next twu years, Ms Cule said. And alîhuugh she'li prutiatly always tic sumewhaî smaller in stature than utbers heu age. she'lI evenîually catch up and wun't tic as fan bebind ber peens as she is nuw. AIl in aIl, Ibis experience bas taughî the Cules just huw fragile lite is and whaî an amazing daughter tbey have. Ms Cule satd. "For whlaI ibis cbild has beenti hruugb. she's been the mosi ama7tngly cntent baby." she saîd. Tlîey saîd thcy hase a nessfound appreciatttintur ducturs and niurses. especially ibose ot Miltoni District anîd MeMaster buspilals. "l)uctors and nurses are wortl itcr \wetght in gold." Mr. Cole Wlti seceisos l li the undelying theni e hind the Cules' stury s lte impoirtanice (il aiily. "Bef ,ore Kailîegb, we bad a sîroîîg, f'tmi lamily. and il seenîs even mure so iiuw,"* Mr. Cule said. "Lean un you family aid Iriends, and with sume prayen lt'Il tial rigbî." 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