Meet Carter - our Kid of the Month

             On October 25, 2007 the Nelson’s welcomed twins Carter and Hunter Nelson to the family at 8:55 a.m., 11 weeks early. Carter weighed in at 2 pounds 13 ounces and Hunter weighed in at 2 pounds 15 ounces.  They were born early due to a phenomenon called twin-to-twin transfusion, where one twin gives the other twin all the blood and doesn’t get any back.  Carter was the donor in their case, while Hunter was the recipient. It was also determined that Carter suffered from Stage 3 and Stage 4 brain bleeds which could potentially cause Cerebral Palsy.  Only time would tell though what the damage would do to his body. 

Carter was born at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah and spent 5 days there before it was apparent that he would need more serious medical intervention.  On November 1, 2007 Carter was life flighted to Primary Children’s Medical Center where it was discovered he needed immediate life saving bowel surgery.  Over the course of the next 7 weeks Carter would stay at Primary’s to grow. During those 7 weeks while at Primary Children’s he would undergo many tests to make sure he was doing ok.  It was discovered that he had holes in his brain from the brain bleeds at birth for being so early which could possibly cause Cerebral Palsy.  Both boys came home from the NICU on December 24, 2007. It was the best Christmas present ever. 

Starting February 2008 through September 2008 Carter had several surgeries trying to give him the best little body he could have to live the fullest life.  One of the surgeries Carter underwent that year was Cranial surgery. He had a pointy forehead and it needed to be corrected.  When the doctor got inside they didn’t like the way the actual skull was formed so instead of just fixing his forehead they actually cut into the skull and flipped it 180 degrees and then put the plates in. As parents we often joke that the back of his head is now the front, you can still kind of feel where the point was. Up until August of 2014 he had not had to have any further surgeries. He recently just recovered from a hip reconstruction, femur reduction, adductor release surgery, and 6 weeks in a body cast.

He turned 7 on October 25, 2014.  Carter does have Spastic Quad Cerebral Palsy but is a very happy and social boy. He loves to EAT all types of food, loves people, the school Bus, books, computers, his iPad, TV, music, School, church, playing with his brothers, and being tickled. Carter is the light of our family. His smile and hello’s melt our hearts every time we walk into a room where he is at.