Page 16 - Summer-2015

THE CAICCO FAMILY

Safeguarding health of mom and baby leads to
a blessing fulfilled

When Julie and Joe Caicco found out they were embarking on
the journey of parenthood after 40 they were overjoyed.

From good nutrition to regular exercise, expectant mother
Julie began doing everything possible to give her unborn baby
a healthy start at life and all was going well with her pregnancy–
until she hit 33 weeks.

At only 33 weeks and five days gestation, Julie arrived at
Marian Regional Medical Center after experiencing bouts
of intense headaches and elevated blood pressure readings.
Medical professionals at Marian quickly determined Julie was
suffering from preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous high
blood pressure disorder that can lead to seizures and can put
the health of both mom and baby at risk.

Unable to control her blood pressure, Julie’s condition required
an emergency cesarean delivery and within just hours of
arriving at the hospital, baby Giovanni Caicco was born at 4:24
p.m. on November 5, 2014, weighing four pounds, nine ounces.

Born prematurely, baby Giovanni’s condition required expert
neonatal care following delivery and he was immediately
whisked to Marian’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), but
not before Julie had the opportunity to kiss her new baby boy.

“Looking back it was terribly difficult to be separated,” states
Julie. “Even though I knew Giovanni’s prematurity called for
neonatal care, I still felt as if I was cheated from one of life’s
most precious bonding experiences.”

Like many moms whose infants need emergency neonatal
care, Julie did not get to embrace and truly meet her precious
bundle of joy in his first few moments of life. She was separated
from both her son and husband, as Joe went to the NICU
to be with Giovanni while Julie went to recovery. Knowing
the importance of this life changing experience, Marian’s

Seven-month-old Giovanni Caicco was born prematurely and spent 16
days in Marian’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

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