Family hoping for a miracle

Angelique and Cole Rosnett have been faced with an unimaginable choice.

To save their daughter Ivy they may have to have a medical procedure that could end the life of their daughter Kiylee.

“We were shocked,” Angelique said. “We weren’t expecting that kind of news.”

Cole, a 2017 St. Joseph-Ogden graduate, said the news is something no parent wants to hear.

“It is a hard choice to decide if we should or shouldn’t do the surgery because either way one or both of them could die,” he said. “I just want our girls to be OK.”

Cole’s mother, Julie, said the family was excited to learn the couple was having twins.

Julie said when the couple went to the hospital for a possible miscarriage the family was elated to hear both babies were OK.

“They came back and had grins,” Julie said. “They assured us at the time that everything was OK and she had not miscarried.”

Then at their first prenatal visit it was discovered the twins shared a placenta but had their own separate amniotic sacs.

Then at 16 weeks they were told the twins were growing at different rates.

Kiylee has Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction, meaning she shares very little of the placenta which restricts her blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to grow properly.

Currently, Kiylee is 9 ounces while Ivy is around 2 pounds.

Kiylee also has low amniotic fluid. While normal range is 2 to 8 centimeters, she barely has 2 centimeters.

“She is struggling in that aspect as well,” Angelique said.

Kiylee’s bladder is barely visible which means she isn’t producing urine and could stop all together. She is also having issues with blood flow.

“It has been heartbreaking seeing your little girl struggle to grow and living day to day not knowing whether you will get the news of she’s thriving or she’s no longer with us,” Angelique said.

Yesterday, Angelique and Cole were told that Kiylee is now below the first percentile for growth and has not grown since the last ultrasound.

Doctors have asked the couple to stay in Miami where Angelique is being treated.

If on Monday the baby is still declining they want to do a laser ablation.

During the surgery altogether they would laser the veins that are connecting the two babies.

“If we do the surgery Kiylee will more than likely pass away,” Angelique said.

If the couple opts not to do the surgery and returns home and Kiylee passes away, Ivy will more than likely pass away as well.

“We must make the decision whether to separate the connection between the babies and lose Kiylee or go home and pray Kilyee doesn’t pass away because then we will lose them both,” Angelique said.

Cole said the couple is praying and being supportive of each other.

“I’ve been doing everything to be there for Angelique and support her and our girls,” Cole said. “I love them both very much and pray for them.”

As if the situation with the twins was not difficult enough, dealing with insurance has been an extra burden.

Carle Foundation Hospital originally referred the couple to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Julie said the Children’s Hospital would only do the surgery that would give Ivy the best chance of survival after Kiylee passed away.

Angelique said hearing the doctors at the children’s hospital tell them to go home and come back when Kiylee passed was the hardest thing she has ever had to deal with.

Julie said she has watched the couple, who also have a 14-month old daughter named Adilynn, deal with the situation and it has been heartbreaking.

“It is a feeling of helplessness, sadness,” she said.

Luckily for the couple, Dr. Ruben Quintero from The Fetal Institute in Miami contacted them, wanting to give Ivy and Kiylee the best chance possible by doing the laser surgery.

Insurance will not cover the surgery because they were not referred to The Fetal Institute by another medical institution.

The initial consult will cost $2,600. The surgery will cost $10,600 and the after surgery follow up will cost $2,000. Those totals do not include any hospital charges.

Angelique said Dr. Quinterro personally spoke to the insurance company to try and get them to cover the costs, to no avail.

“He agreed to see us any way to try and save Kiylee before she gets worse or passes away,” Angelique said. “If she were to pass away we don’t know if it will also kill Ivy.”

Julie said the family is trying to stay positive and is relying on their faith to get through this time.

“We just all pray and try to have faith that God will give us a miracle and save them both,” she said.

Friends of the family have set up a fund at Gifford State Bank named after the twins for donations to defray medical costs. They are also planning a fundraisers.