Becs and Baby Dryland's journey of Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida

Welcome to this page for Becs Dryland and her baby. I am a sister of Becs and have established this Give A Little page for her, her unborn baby and their support team through their journey of leading-edge fetal surgery for spina bifida.

The objective of the page being a place where friends and family can come to, in which to keep updated on Becs's and Baby Dryland's progress and to also provide an easy way for anyone wishing to make a small contribution or comment to Becs while she is away from home for surgery and her baby's birth.

A little about Becs and Baby Dryland's journey to date…

March 2018: During Becs's routine 21-week scan Baby Dryland was diagnosed with Spina bifida (open myelomeningocele) L5 - S1, with Arnold Chiari 2 malformation.

In April, at 24 weeks' of pregnancy, Becs travelled from Hokitika New Zealand, to Mater Mothers Hospital, Brisbane Australia where both she and her unborn baby underwent in-utero fetal surgery for spina bifida. Becs is the sixth mother (and second Kiwi mother) to undergo this surgery in Australia. The surgery has shown successful results already and more outcomes will be known once baby is born.

Unfortunately, three weeks’ post-surgery, whilst recovering at Ronald McDonald House in Brisbane, at 27 weeks of pregnancy, Premature Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) occurred. It is likely that Baby Dryland will soon be born prematurely. Once born, Baby Dryland is expected to require Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) care at Mater Mother’s Hospital, Brisbane until approximately his/her due date on August 4th, before being ready to return home to Hokitika, New Zealand.

Spina bifida is an open neural tube defect that occurs in the early stages of fetal development. It is an incomplete closing of the vertebrae and membranes around the spinal cord. Myelomeningocele, is the most severe form of spina bifida. Associated problems can include mobility issues, bladder / bowel dysfunction, hydrocephalus (excessive cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the brain), a tethered spinal cord and possible learning delays.

Most commonly in New Zealand, the treatment for myelomeningocele begins with surgery in the first few days of baby’s life. With latest advances in medical care there is now an alternative surgical procedure being offered outside of Aotearoa. Fetal surgery for spina bifida is performed before birth on both mother and baby. This remarkable surgery, done within the window of 19-25 weeks of pregnancy, can reduce the risk of damage to the baby’s brain from hydrocephalus, reducing the need for a shunt in the brain to relieve pressure, and improve baby's mobility. Possible outcomes include reduced future hospital admissions and surgeries and improving baby's quality of life. Fetal surgery increases the likelihood of baby being born pre-term.

In July 2016, this groundbreaking in-utero surgery was performed in Australia for the first time by Dr. Glenn Gardener and his team of Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists at Mater Mothers Hospital, Brisbane. They are the only team offering this procedure in Australasia. Despite the risks involved for the mother and baby, the outcomes from this pioneering surgery have been very positive.

Any support to Becs, her unborn baby and her support team of family and friends as they go through this surgery, recovery and journey back to New Zealand is warmly appreciated. As this surgical option is not available in New Zealand, Becs is also keen to help raise awareness and therefore accessibility of fetal surgery for spina bifida, as a possibility for other Kiwi mothers.

Becs has expressed much appreciation to her great friends, family, colleagues and the many others that have helped her and Baby Dryland on their journey so far. Also to her on-hand-in-Australia support people for arranging time off away from work and families and selflessly making themselves available to be with Becs. A rotation of at least six family members and friends has been in place over the initial month in Brisbane. It has been a clinical requirement of surgery, to have a support person with Becs throughout the whole process.

For those that know Becs well, you will perhaps have an appreciation or understanding for the fact that she is a very capable and independent woman and is currently feeling somewhat reluctant to have this Give A Little page established, as she is not especially comfortable with asking for support or with social media.

Despite this, she is very much 'all about' doing everything she can for her baby and to minimise the impact and financial cost to her support people. Hence, she has agreed to the setting up of this Give A Little page, with the hope it may be a way of providing updates to extended friends and family, help raise awareness of fetal surgery and with the understanding that any funds generously donated, will go towards: Travel and accommodation expenses of her support people in Brisbane and any extra equipment or treatment Baby Dryland may require due to spina bifida or pre-term complications. Should the situation change or if there are additional funds, they will be gifted to Maternal Fetal Medicine, Mater Mothers Hospital for support of other mothers and babies in similar situations.

We appreciate how Becs feels around this and are pleased that she is open to all forms of support that people are wanting to share in order to assist her, her baby and her revolving support team along this journey.

All contributions are received with much thankfulness and great appreciation.

A timeline of recent events...

April 2nd - 6th: Soon after diagnosis, Becs and Baby Dryland travel from Hokitika, New Zealand to Brisbane to undergo numerous consultations, assessments and scans with the Maternal Fetal Medicine team at Mater Mothers Hospital to determine if Becs and Baby Dryland are suitable for the proposed fetal surgery. Becs is very happy and grateful to have found out about the in-utero surgery in time for it to be an option and before the then-upcoming 25-week cutoff. Also happy and relieved that she had met the stringent criteria required.

April 6th: Funding for fetal surgery is approved by NZ Ministry of Health. This has made the possibility of surgery a reality for Becs. It has also brought her great relief and appreciation for the people and systems that help to support this type of funding application, offering the chance of this potentially life altering procedure for Baby Dryland and others alike.

April 7th – 13th: A whirlwind week for Becs. Full of medical appointments in Christchurch, long drives in snow storms, sorting life, work and animals to enable her to be away from the Coast for winter. Final approval for the surgery has been granted by Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, USA. Vanderbilt works in partnership with Dr. Gardener and his team to conduct this surgery.

April 14th: Becs departs Hokitika, for surgery in Brisbane. A requirement of surgery is for a support person to be with Becs, from the initial consult week in Brisbane in April, over the recovery period and up until her baby is born. Becs is feeling very fortunate and grateful to family and friends who are helping to make this happen. Friends, family, work team, neighbours and more, have been providing all forms of support. From emotional through to practical support, with tagging out of the workplace suddenly, goat and dog sitting and working bees on Becs’s land and shed. There has been such an abundance of kindness and assistance. Becs is extremely grateful for this generosity. It has helped allow her to focus on doing her best for Baby Dryland.

April 16th: Day before planned surgery. Final pre-op tests and scans and measurements are approved by Dr. Gardener and the team. Everything is confirmed as OK to go ahead the following day. "Whew!" says Becs.

April 17th: The surgery, was successfully performed at 24 weeks’ pregnancy and led by Dr. Gardener with his highly specialised team. Both Becs and Baby Dryland did very well throughout the surgery and into the recovery phase. The opening in Baby Dryland's lumbar/sacral spine has been successfully closed over. Clinical Midwifery Consultant/Manager, Barb Soong has done an exceptional job of coordinating the process leading up to surgery and supporting Becs right from the "get-go" and ongoing. Both Barb and Dr Gardener (and their teams) have been exceptional in the care they have provided.

April 26th, 10 days’ post-surgery: Fantastic results in the first post-op scan. The Arnold Chiari 2 Malformation is starting to reverse! Baby Dryland’s head is also starting to take on a more regular oval shape, rather than his/her ‘lemon-like shaped’ head pre-surgery. Improvements can be seen in the way Baby's brain is developing due to the surgery. Baby Dryland has grown lots over the past ten days with all the great rest and recovery Becs has been doing!

April 27th, 11 days’ post-surgery: Becs's wound is healing extremely well and she has been released from hospital to spend the next four weeks in the care of her support person at Ronald McDonald House, South Brisbane. She is on modified bed rest to reduce the risk of pre-term delivery. Very minimal movement and lots of rest for our Becs! The plan is for Becs to return to New Zealand at 29 weeks where she would stay close to Christchurch Woman's Hospital on modified bed rest until baby is delivered by C-section at a goal of 37 weeks.

May 7th, three weeks’ post-surgery: Unfortunately Becs is readmitted to Mater Woman's Hospital Brisbane with Premature Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes (PPROM). Her waters have broken at 27 weeks. Fortunately, no labour has ensued. Dr. Scott confirms; “Your baby will be born an Australian!" Becs will now need to stay in Australia until after her baby is born and when he/she is ready to travel home around the original due date of August 4th. Hospital and bed rest again for Becs!

May 14th, four weeks’ post-surgery: Becs and Baby Dryland are doing really well at 28 weeks and two days. The amazing staff at Mater Mother's Hospital have continued to take such good care of them both in this next phase of baby's journey into the world. Baby Dryland is growing well and Becs is comfortably resting in hospital. As long as baby continues to thrive and Becs remains infection and contraction free, baby can remain inside. Any sign of either and very swiftly a C-section will be performed and Baby Dryland will be brought out to meet the world (once again).

So that brings us up to date.

If you are interested in more details, do check out the rest of this Give A Little page for further information and links to spina bifida and fetal surgery, and if you would like to stay updated with how Becs and Baby Dryland are doing. I will continue to place updates here as their journey continues.

Becs is very happy to support other mothers-to-be who find themselves in a similar spina bifida situation. If you feel this might be you or someone you know, you are warmly invited to make contact.

Thanks for taking the time to read and share in Becs's and Baby Dryland's journey.

Use of all funds generously donated will go towards: