Over the past year, we have had a few opportunities to share a short version of the twins’ NICU journey at events for the Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography (TNE) machine. The Children’s Health Foundation has been collecting donations to help purchase this machine for the NICU and that was finally able to happen this summer!
This machine makes a MASSIVE difference in the lives of premature (and some full-term!) infants. Diagnosing and treating Calvin and Katharina would have looked very different without the use of this machine. It was brought to their bedsides and gave real time footage of what was happening with their hearts. Dr. Soume Bhattacharya has had special training to use this machine and is now the official director of the Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography program. The machine that was used for our twins was borrowed from the cardiology unit but now the NICU has their very own machine which will help save so many lives!
This afternoon, Dr. Soume showed the donors a live demonstration of this machine on Calvin’s heart. She is incredibly intelligent and one of the most caring, gentle doctors we have ever met.
Dr. Soume + Katharina 
Dr. Soume + Calvin
Dr. da Silva was Calvin and Katharina’s primary neonatologist throughout their time in the NICU. When there was a tentative plan to transfer Katharina to the St. Thomas hospital, he (along with our core nurse team) stepped in to prevent that from happening. He believed in family-centered care and would not allow our twins to be separated! This was such a blessing, especially considering how ill Calvin was at the time.
Dr. da Silva with Calvin + Katharina 
Dr. da Silva + Katharina
Dr. Li was a paediatric cardiologist who founded London’s NICU in the late 1960s. He is now 86 years old. It was an honour to meet him and his wife today!
I was also excited to see a fellow NICU mama, Krista Rose, and her daughter Violet. In the NICU, Violet was just across the hall from our twins. She was born full-term with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) that went undiagnosed in prenatal ultrasounds. Krista shared Violet’s story and how the TNE machine played a crucial role in her treatment and care.
Pictured below is the Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography machine! On the far right of this machine, you can see three ultrasound probes. The closest one was used on Calvin today (for bigger babies), the middle one (tiniest) is for premature infants, and the one furthest away is for older children/adults.
The Hughes Family 