Born To Battle

By Jamie Holmes

     Hello, my name is Jamie Holmes.  On August 5, 1987, I was born premature with multiple health issues due to having V.A.T E.R Syndrome.  My mother, Kim, (who is my rock) was 18 years old when I was born, and was told that she should start making funeral arrangements for me, because I wasn’t going to live.  She was told if I did survive, I wasn’t going to have the life expectancy as other children.  My mother told them that they were wrong, that she and I were fighters, and that her baby was going to make it and have a wonderful life.

     When I was born, my throat and esophagus were connected as one and had to be repaired. I was also born without a rectum, it too had to be repaired.  Additionally, I had severe kidney issues (one of which disintegrated), a heart murmur and I do not have all of my vertebras.

     Luckily, with a lot of training and care, along with several months in the hospital, my mom and I pulled through and proved those doctors wrong.  Even throughout the necessary use of feeding tubes, colostomy bag and a vesicosotomy, this didn’t stop her, I was still her little girl and not different in anyway.  She likes to tell me stories about when she would dress me up like a baby doll, just to see what I looked like in each little outfit.

     For those to don’t know, The V.A.T.E.R. Syndrome handles non-random, co-occurrence birth defects such as, vertebral anomalies, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula and/or esophageal atresia, and renal anomalies. anomalies, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula and/or esophageal atresia, and renal anomalies.