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SIMEON SCHULT
To look at Simeon Schult today, you would never know that this incredibly adorable
and active 2 year old from Wausau had a very difficult start. For her parents, DJ and
Dr. Sara Schult, it was a day-to-day wait to see if their daughter would survive her birth.
On February 26, 2001, only seven days before Simeon’s birth, DJ and Sara were told
that their baby had a life-threatening defect. Her prenatal diagnosis was idiopathic
hydrops fetalis. Because of this, the baby had major edema (swelling) from the fluid
throughout her body. "The baby had a strong heartbeat," remembers DJ. "And Sara showed
no signs of early delivery. This was good."
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Simeon Schult
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Several tests were performed to determine if this was a chromosomal problem. "The worse
case scenarios were death of the child or severe retardation," explains DJ. "The best
case seemed to be a miracle. It was in God's hands. We simply held on to the roller
coaster called life, enjoying the ride when we were not too scared of the next drop."
On the morning of March 5, 2001, DJ and Sara received the news that the chromosome
tests were negative. And later that morning Sara had a c-section bringing into the
world 6 pound, 15-ounce Simeon Rarity at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield
(nearly three pounds was water weight). "We had been so blessed to be followed by
Dr. Paul Meier throughout this ordeal," shares DJ. "He is one of the top high risk
obstetricians in the area."
As soon as Simeon was born, she was whisked away to the Hospital’s Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for immediate medical attention. Her stomach and face
were swollen from the fluid. "The doctors had no idea what to expect," remembers DJ.
Simeon needed to be placed on a respirator. She was in serious, but stable condition.
Less than 24 hours old, Simeon had a blood transfusion to treat mild anemia.
"Her outlook was grim at best," shares Judy Mauritz, NICU nurse at Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
"She was born extremely edematous (swollen). She was in respiratory distress which was
aggravated by immature lungs due to her birth at 32 weeks gestation."
Simeon’s condition slowly improved and she was finally able to go home after five
weeks in the NICU. "Simeon experienced some minor difficulty learning to eat and
had some nerve-wracking apnea," shares her dad. "But all is good now. She antagonizes
her older brother and kisses her little sister. God’s fingerprints are all over
this story and our lives."
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