Faith over Fear, Makai Aboagye the VOGM Warrior!

Thank you for landing on this page, taking an interest in Makai's journey, and possibly supporting the cause by donating to the Sick Kids Foundation. May the Lord God Almighty bless you and the ones you love!

The journey of conceiving Makai was not an easy one. It took us about 2 years, before we were naturally able to conceive. As many may know, my pregnancies are not the most enjoyable. I suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum; which is all day nausea and vomiting throughout the duration of my pregnancy, yes all 3 of my pregnancies!

This third pregnancy was like the other 2, 6 weeks hits and boom, nausea/vomiting. Over the years, our support circle had changed so we had to manage on our own. I was dropping off the girls to school, vomiting in the car, hooked up to a portable IV machine so that I can get hydration to keep me going because I was running on E. I was on daily IV therapy, for 4 hours a day for about 5-6 months. I did all my follow ups and ultrasounds, baby was looking good, no concerns.

At 9 months pregnant, my OB that I was seeing in Vaughan, tells me she wants to refer me to Mount Sinai, as an ultrasound shows a cyst on my baby’s brain and that I should go downtown for monitoring. In my head I’m like oh, it’s just a cyst, these things come and go. So I was kind of annoyed at my OB thinking she was doing the most, but I clearly had no clue she was heaven sent. 

On June 25, we went to Mount Sinai, did an ultrasound, and were told that our baby has what’s called Vein of Galen Malformation, where there are some veins and arteries connecting in his brain, when they shouldn’t. The MFM Doctor told us the stats, chances of developmental delay, respiratory and heart failure  and even death. She then told us we can continue with the pregnancy or terminate. Imagine being told you have an option to terminate a pregnancy at 9 months, a pregnancy you so very badly wanted. I didn’t even look at Murphy or stutter and told them, that is not an option, we are going to keep our baby boy. 

On July 23rd, Makai was born. Makai had a great cry, we got to see him and kiss him, and then about a minute later, he was taken to the resuscitation room. Makai was starting to have trouble breathing, so they had to intubate him and sedate him so that he would not be in any distress. I saw him an hour later in the incubator, hooked up to so many tubes, and IV lines, it was extremely hard on us. 

Thank God for the Sick Kids team, Dr. Prakash Muthusami, Dr. Bonny Jasani, Dr. Peter Dirks, Dr. Carmen Parra-Farinas, and all of the staff, for being knowledgeable in this rare condition, and knowing what to expect and how to manage his case. At just 2-days old, Makai underwent minimally invasive brain surgery, putting a catheter in the arteries of his legs, which gets threaded all the way into his brain, to put a blockage in his brain, as the malformation was causing an increase in blood flow, putting pressure on his heart. Makai had a second surgery at 4-days old, was stabilized for the next 1.5 weeks, was then transferred to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital for a few days of observation, before we got to take him home. 

The hardest part was leaving the hospital without our baby, something I had never experienced. I am grateful that we eventually got to take him home, and that he has been with us ever since.

Now Makai is 1 years old, healthy, and meeting all his milestones, and it’s all thanks and praise to the Lord, and to the amazing Sick Kids team. 

All along, I did not lose my faith, I did not blame God, I just knew that God’s time is the best time, and if he wants this for us, he will do it, and see us through all of the challenges.

Makai, please know that you are so deeply wanted and loved, and that I never gave up on you, even when I had the option to. You are the light of our world, and even though your first few weeks on earth were chaotic, look at you now, healthy, happy, and doing everything you are supposed to.

I love you so much papa!