Catherine Lopez with baby Matthew Evans-Lopez and Dr. Ihor Bilyk before Evans-Lopez’s discharge
BY BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — A Saugus baby, born 100 days early, is thriving as he celebrates his due date.
Matthew Evans-Lopez was born at 24 weeks on Sept. 28 to Saugus resident Catherine Lopez. At the time of his birth, Evans-Lopez weighed one pound and 10 ounces. Today, he is full term and weighs 12 pounds.
Lopez said the day her son was born, she woke up with minor cramping, which progressed as time went on. Eventually, concerned it may be a urinary tract infection, she decided she needed to seek medical attention at the Lynn Community Health Center.
At the center, Lopez was treated by Dr. Landrey Fagan, a family medicine physician, who quickly checked her cervix and realized the cramping she was experiencing was actually labor pains. Fagan determined Lopez was almost completely dilated, despite efforts to slow the progression of labor.
“You just don’t think that you’ll deliver at only 24 weeks pregnant,” said Lopez. “I went to all of my appointments, ate well and took the necessary precautions. I had done everything right.”
Lopez was quickly transferred to North Shore Medical Center’s Birthplace at Salem Hospital, which is closely affiliated with the maternal-fetal medicine specialists at Massachusetts General Hospital, who specialize in caring for women who deliver early.
“I arrived at the NSMC Birthplace and entered the birthing suite to find a number of physicians and nurses waiting for me, and I started to grasp the magnitude of what was happening and began to cry,” she said. “It took a very comforting nurse and the physician talking me through the situation to calm me down.”
“As soon as I received the call from Dr. Fagan, we immediately began to get things ready for her arrival,” said Rosa Lorenia Diaz, LCHC obstetrician and gynecologist. “Catherine was 24 weeks and four days into her pregnancy, which is just past the point at which a baby has a decent chance of survival.
“My concern with this very early baby during delivery was his lung development.”
Diaz delivered Evans-Lopez at 8:23 p.m. NSMC Neonatologist Ihor Bilyk stabilized the baby in the Special Care Nursery.
“Considering the circumstances, it was a seamless transition and delivery, which is a testament to our excellent teams at both LCHC and NSMC,” Diaz said.
Within a few hours, Lopez and her newborn son were both transferred to Mass General so Evans-Lopez could receive more advanced care.
“Our neonatologists practice at both NSMC and MGH, which allows for continuity of care and provides the parents with some familiarity and comfort,” said NSMC Chief of Newborn Medicine, Dr. Sanjay Aurora.
Evans-Lopez spent 99 days at the Mass General Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he was placed on a ventilator, and received intense nutritional and occupational therapy, along with feeding team support. He also underwent surgery for a congenital heart defect and hernia repair.
During Evans-Lopez’s time at Mass General, Lopez said she traveled back and forth between Saugus and Boston each day.
Lopez, who is a physician in Puerto Rico, said her knowledge and background in medicine didn’t make the experience any easier.
“Through the traumatic experience, I was a mom first and foremost,” she said. “I let the physicians and nurses work and I took on the role of mom. Having a medical background did not make any of it easier.”
Following the completion of his treatment, Evans-Lopez was transferred back to NSMC for continued care and observation prior to being released.
“By transferring the patient back to the NSMC Special Care Nursery prior to going home, we can more easily coordinate with LCHC physicians for a seamless discharge,” Aurora said.
“It was a long and hard experience,” Lopez said. “However, through it all I felt strong because I knew I had to be for my baby.
“I did the best I could for him and the reward was bringing home a beautiful and healthy baby boy.”
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.
