Baby Maxwell Franklin Hunt Gets a Head Start on Life

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Maxwell decided February 12, 2010 was a better date to enter this world than the May 11th due date determined by the doctors. He sure did not give Colleen and I much notice. One moment we were returning from our "Pre-Valentine's Day Date" and the next moment we are coming to the realization that Max is coming this night no matter what.

We were all worried and praying for the best as Colleen approached the OR for the emergency cesarean section. But we all knew Colleen and Max would fight to the very end. Taking into account the circumstances the surgery was very successful. However, as soon as Max entered the world he was whisked away to the nicu prep area to ensure all his vitals were good and give his lungs a little help. Luckily Max is a strong baby even at 27 weeks and 3 days, as he was brought back into the OR for Colleen and I to see his precious face.

The birth weight for Max was a whopping 2 lbs 11 oz, which is actually in the upper tier for babies in this age bracket. Once we returned from the OR we had to make the decision where to send Max in the next couple hours. Regional Medical Center did a fantastic job delivering Max, but they are not setup for premies 32 weeks and below. We made the decision to send him to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, TN. Our first impressions were great when one of the three medical personnel with the Vanderbilt "Angel" transportation group came up to our room after the quick drive from Nashville and explained what we would be going through in next 24 to 48 hours.

The next step was the transportation from Madisonville, KY to Nashville, TN. Max is shown to the right in his mobile incubator fitted with all the necessary monitors and safety equipment to handle the one and half hour drive. We knew he would be in good hands during this important journey. Colleen is hoping to be discharged from the hospital at some point Saturday and join Max in Nashville later that night. We have been though a lot in the past 24 hours and our hopes remain 100% positive. But we are still very aware of the uphill battle we have from here.

More pictures...


John and Max


John finger vs. Max finger


Colleen and Max


Colleen on "Cloud 9"