Ortonville- Christina Young has had some challenges in motherhood.
At 26, she is a divorced mom of five children. She had her first child as a teenager. When she was 22, she gave birth to twins five weeks early, one of whom has severe medical issues.
‘Motherhood is interesting,? she says now, smiling. ‘It’s different than what I thought it would be, but in a good way.?
Young gave birth to son Dylan when she was 16. Because she became a mother at such a young age, she missed out on events like prom and a graduation ceremony. She got her diploma, but was unable to attend college right after high school like so many of her peers. Still, Young notes she wouldn’t change anything, calling her eldest a ‘really good kid,? who made up for what she missed.
Her second son, Brendan, arrived four years later, the start of a whirlwind, she says. Within four years, she would have three more children and during that time, face her biggest challenge.
In the summer of 2001, Young was having trouble deciphering what she was seeing.
Having had two sons, she knew what to look for on an ultrasound, but, she recalls, she stared at the screen and thought, ‘What is that??
She was shocked to be told it was twins. She was not surprised when they told her one was a boy, as she expected to have all boys, but was stunned, and ecstatic, to learn the other twin was a daughter.
That joy soon turned to concern when Young started pre-term labor at 32 weeks into the pregnancy. Although the doctors were able to stop labor, they found the boy twin was cutting off his sister’s food supply. She had lost some weight, but the doctors decided to monitor the pregnancy closely.
Young’s twins, Riley and Lucie, were born three weeks later, on Dec. 17, 2001, by Cesearean section. They were five weeks early and, their mother recalls, Lucie sounded like a kitten.
‘She was very fragile-sounding,? says Young. ‘She also had a huge scar on her head and the doctor didn’t know what it was.?
Although she and Chris Morris (the father of all five of her children), felt something was amiss, doctors told them the baby was fine, and Lucie was allowed to come home on Christmas Eve (her twin had come home earlier in the week).
A week later, a pediatrician found Lucie had a large heart murmur. A pediatric cardiologist diagnosed pulmonary stenosis (a narrowing of the heart valve) a week later. Lucie also had atrial septal defect, or a ‘hole? in her heart. During the first three months of 2002, Lucie would be hospitalized with RSV, a respiratory virus and with pneumonia. Her twin, Riley, also contracted pneumonia and both were in the hospital at the same time.
‘It was overwhelming,? says Young. ‘She was having problems and we had Riley, too. It had to be hard for him, a lot of the attention was going to her.?
Lucie was not meeting any developmental milestones and she received a feeding tube in May 2002.
She would have two heart catheterizations in 2002 and had open heart surgery in February 2003.
‘For a long time we were scared she wasn’t going to make it,? says Young.
In July 2003, after many genetic tests, Young would finally get a diagnosis for why her daughter had so many medical problems and developmental delays: Lucie was born with cerebral palsy, a group of chronic conditions affecting body movements and muscle coordination, caused by damage to the brain.
The diagnosis was the hardest thing Young had ever dealt with.
‘I had wanted a girl so bad and then I learned this devastating news,? she said. ‘It took a long time to come to terms with her disability and realize God gave her to us for a reason and he wouldn’t have if we couldn’t handle it. I used to focus on what she couldn’t do and now I focus on what she can.?
‘They told us she would never walk, but I think she’ll be able to, it will just take years,? Young says. ‘She’s making more sounds. I think she will speak eventually.?
She holds Lucie on her lap and smiles down at her. ‘Mommy thinks she can do anything.?
Young notes it is different watching Lucie accomplish a milestone than it was with her boys.
‘It’s even more exciting, because you know how much work went into it and you almost didn’t expect it.?
Lucie’s milestones include being able to sit up and scooting across the floor. When asked to give her mother a kiss, she will lick the side of Young’s face. When Young goes to get her daughter out of her crib, Lucie will hold her arms out.
‘She’s actually the easiest out of all of them,? Young says. ‘I think it’s made me a better mom. I’m more patient and understanding with all of them.?
‘All of them? now includes 2-year-old Colin. Young says all of Lucie’s brothers are understanding of their sister. Young tries to give each of her sons their own ‘thing.? The eldest two play sports and Riley attends the Brandon Early Education Services (B.E.E.S.) program, as does his sister.
Lucie has been involved in the program since the twins were 10-months-old and is making progress.
Young says she appreciates the little things more now with all her children.
‘I don’t take what any of them do for granted,? she says. ‘Smiles, hugs, kisses, art projects they bring home? it’s the little things that make me happy. It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture… I just want them to be happy and for their dreams for themselves to come true. I love being a mom and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.?