Krista Lee Darrow

*some people come into our lives and quickly leave,others come into our lives,leave foot-prints on our hearts and we are never ever the same*

My Twin Story
Krista Lee & Kari Lynn Darrow
Diagnoses: 1. Prematurity at 33 weeks gestation.
2. Necrotizing Enterocolitis

On July 30, 1987, due to fetal decelerations with the first twin (Krista), Judy went into spontaneous Labour at 33 weeks gestation. An emergency low segment Caesarian section was performed. Twin A, Krista was born first, Twin B, Kari was born second, breech 30 seconds after. Both weighted 3 pounds, 14 ounces. 15 Inches in length. Blonde hair and blue eyes. Kari Required minimal resuscitation. At 4 hours old Kari developed an episode of apnoea and bradycardia. A septic work-up was performed and was treated with antibiotics. Subsequently the cultures were negative and the antibiotics were discontinued. At three weeks old, Kari developed intolerance to feeds and a distended abdomen with a radiological picture suggestive of necritizing enterocolitis. A septic work-up was performed and was treated. Krista developed Herpes Simplex Virus, Type 2, Encephalitis. She had systemic herpes virus infection. She had ROM for 7 hours. Mother was negative to have it. Herpetic lesions appeared at the site of scalp dip insertion. The virus in Krista was probably introduced by the scalp dip. They wanted to treat Kari with medicine incase she had Herpes as well. They where not ok with this and instead did some tests too see if Kari had Herpes as well. Mom and Dad, made the decision that they cant cope with taking care of Krista because she was disabled. My mom expressed alot of anger and detachment. HSV IgM titres in Kari was negative, she did not have the virus.
We were pre-mature by 7 weeks so we needed breathing tubes in our noses. Our heads were shaved bald so that we could also get a scalp dip put in the right side of our foreheads. We where placed in separate incubators in the NICU. Mom and dad came to the hospital often to see us. But it did cause alot of Anger because of Krista's diagnosis. We where always separate though never together at the same time. Mom and dad had to make decisions on what would happen with Krista once she was discharged. Dad wanted to bring her home but mom did not. they wanted to put her in an institution for disabled people but mom didn't want to bring her home only for a short time until that would happen. It would be hard to bring her home to be with the family, then have her leave. Kari came home September 9. Krista died the next day at 1 months and 11 days old on September 10 because of a decision my parents made. One decision. Throughout the 6 weeks she lived, they would have to tickle her feet to remind her to breathe and keep her heart beating, so they did this. Since my parents didn't want too see her grow up the way they knew she would, they decided to let her life end. The day after I came home, they where told She would have to go home also and that they cant leave her at the hospital, so when Krista stopped breathing again, she told them to not tickle her feet, but to let her go. Krista would just lay there if this happened and not even try to attempt to breathe. My parents watched her in the incubator, fight for her life in distress, moving around in a panic gasping for air. She died because my parent's chose for her too. She could of lived and been alive today if this did not happen.

Funeral: At Donohue
Burried: At Mount Pleasant


~When I found out about her~
In Fall of 1994 when I was 7 years old my father told me that i had a dead twin sister. He took me back to my moms and showed me a little box that said Krista's name on it and he told me to open it.I looked inside and saw baby clothes, a sweater, hat and, booties. This was the outfit Krista died in. Then I saw a photo album, It had pictures of Krista. Then I saw a bag of Congradulation and sorrow cards. One card said congradulations on having twins and it had 2 loonies in it, That where suposed to be given to us when we got older. Then at the bottom of the box was a little White pillow with a pink ribbon. This was given to Krista after she died . Dad then took me to the cemetery and we found krista's grave and when i looked at it i stomped on it and my dad questioned me about it but i told him i didnt know why i did that. i was trying to see if she would wake up.

Krista Name-Krista Lee Darrow Birthday-July 30,1987 3:20AM Location-London,Ontario,Canada Hair-Blonde Eyes-Blue Weight-3 pounds 14 ounces Height-15 inches Gender-Female Twin Type-Fraternal Twin-Sister-Kari Lynn Deathday-September 10,1987 Cause-Herpes Encephalitis Age-1 month 11 days Location-London,Ontario,Canada Cemetery-Mount Pleasant Cemetery Kari Name-Kari Lynn Darrow Birthday-July 30,1987 3:22AM Location-London,Ontario,Canada Hair-Blonde/Brown Eyes-Green Weight-115 Height-4'11 Gender-Female Twin Type-Fraternal Twin-Sister-Krista Lee Born at 33 weeks gestation 30 seconds younger than twin


Facts
-We were Fraternal not Identical
-We were born on July 30,1987, but our due date was September 7,1987
-We where born 7 weeks early
-Krista died the day after I left the hospital to go home to my parent's
-We both were the exact same weight and size
-Krista was born first, I was born second, feet first (Breech)
-It is the hospital's fault she got sick and died. The tube put in our heads, her's was contaminated with Herpes.
-The hospital noticed something was wrong with Krista 1 day after we were born on July 31st, 1987. She was having a seizure. She had a number of them a day until her death.
-The hospital thought she would live
-I was present at her funeral with my parents.
-Krista and me where never together since birth.
-Krista was Blind, Deaf, Mute, and paralized.
She could not drink or eat with her mouth because she could not swallow
- She never cried because she couldn't
-When we where born Krista cried, I did not.
We were born by C Section.
- I was born 30 seconds after her.
-My father helped bury her.
- Her funeral was open casket, she was wearing a white dress.
-At her funeral, a cross was drawn on her forehead.
- We where born early to save Krista's life. Her heart rate dropped. I was fine.
-They thought I had herpes as well. They tested me and I did not have it. I was tested through my stay at the hospital.
-My father never held me for the first year of my life.
-My parents struggled to raise me, especially the first few years.
-If Krista survived, She would of been living in a mental institution. I wouldn't of grown up with her.
-I am the only family member that visit's her Grave.
-I have met the doctor that delivered us in 2005, Dr.Han. He even showed me the room, where we were born.
-My parents hid a lot of information from me. I found out most stuff from my own birth records, in september 2010.
- My mom always told me "It could of been you"
- My parents knew Krista would be a girl, but they thought I was going to be a boy.



Links
Mount Pleasant Cemetery Grave Listing
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cancemet/ON/ONM12701/OA/
Fine A Grave
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSmid=46848221&GRid=35643771
Gone Too Soon
http://krista-darrow.gonetoosoon.org/