The Azia Warrior Project | Thriftin and Livin

The Azia Warrior Project was created in honor of our daughter, Azia. Azia was born at 33 weeks and five days on July 31st, 2018 as the result of severe preeclampsia. Her 6 week early arrival led to an uneventful 46 day hospital stay at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Azia was discharged on September 12th, one day before her original due date. After about 30 hours at home, Azia became deathly ill. In a matter of three hours she went from drinking a bottle as usual to being lethargic, pale, staring blankly, and her breathing had begun to become more difficult.

She was about halfway into the nearly hour long car ride back to the NICU when her breathing slowed drastically, prompting the 911 call for emergency medical services.

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Deputy Sarnes was the first person to reach Azia’s side that night. By the time he arrived, her breathing had labored further, prompting he and Azia’s mom to stimulate her chest and encourage breathing. Azia’s breathing continued to become more labored while waiting for an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, she required constant stimulation to the chest in order to breathe. Once medical personnel began giving her oxygen, she improved and was transferred via ambulance to the NICU without the use of lights or sirens.

A Neonatal Nurse Practitioner met Azia in the Emergency Room where it was quickly determined that Azia was extremely sick and needed to be admitted immediately. Thus, Azia made the trip back upstairs to the familiar sights and sounds of the NICU. That’s where the team began to work their miracles.

Within a few hours of admission, the Neonatologist suggested the possibility that it was Group B Strep that was trying to consume Azia’s little body. From there, antibiotics were started pretty quickly. Azia’s condition still worsened, signifying that the infection had been caught relatively early. She was intubated that night following severe apnea episodes. Over the next few days, she had seizures that required medication, received a blood transfusion and a cutdown PICC line after less invasive attempts failed. She had an MRI on her brain that revealed brain damage to both the left and right sides of her brain, also. Group B Strep is often terribly relentless and Azia’s story is no different.

Despite all the struggles she faced, Azia slowly, but surely came back around. She remained in the NICU for a total of 16 days the second time around. The total impacts of the infection are still unknown. She is closely monitored by her pediatrician and has seen several other pediatric specialists. Azia has an entire team of medical professionals working together to ensure she is receiving all the support she needs.

Azia has received in-home physical therapy since she was discharged with an occasional visit from occupational therapy. Since about six months of age, she has also been consistently going to both physical and occupational therapy at an outpatient rehab facility twice weekly. At about one year, she began feeding and speech therapy at the outpatient facility, also. Azia will continue to rotate between the various therapy types as she continues to grow and develop.

A follow-up MRI of Azia’s brain in November 2019 confirmed encephalomalacia scattered throughout her brain with most of it occurring on the right side. This confirmed that the initial damage to Azia’s brain was permanent.

An ABR hearing test also in November 2019 confirmed that Azia has moderate hearing loss on her right side. As a result, Azia wears a hearing aid in her right ear.

For the first time since discharge, Azia had a bad, mostly silent seizure episode in August 2020. During the seizure, her oxygen concentration dropped to dangerously low levels. As a result, Azia received a new diagnosis of epilepsy, new medications, and new equipment to monitor and prevent future seizures.

An eye exam revealed an astigmatism in Azia’s left eye in September 2020. So, Azia added some cute glasses to her ever-growing list of supportive equipment.

Despite all of her challenges, Azia has proven her strength and determination and continues to progress, inspiring us all.

Late onset Group B Strep infection that presented as pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. That was Azia’s official diagnosis at six weeks old. Following that diagnosis, personal research discovered an absence of information regarding this devastating bacteria.

Thus, The Azia Warrior Project was founded to help spread that vital information so that maybe others won’t have to experience the horrifying devastation that Group B Strep can present a family.