Australian travel blogger Jessica Stein gave birth to her baby girl, Rumi, after a complicated pregnancy.
And now, six months on, their chronically ill little girl is still in and out of hospital undergoing urgent surgeries – the latest for intestinal malrotation.
While Ms Stein has stayed off her social media accounts for the most part while caring for her baby, she took to her Instagram account on Sunday to address everything that has been happening and share with her followers what to do if they know of someone going through a tough time.
‘Every day is a fight, but yesterday was the worst of our lives. Ru had urgent surgery for her intestinal malrotation a few days ago,’ the doting mother wrote.
Australian travel blogger Jessica Stein gave birth to her baby girl, Rumi, after a complicated pregnancy. And now, six months on, their chronically ill little girl is still in and out of hospital undergoing urgent surgeries – the latest for intestinal malrotation
She took to her Instagram account on Sunday to address everything that has been happening and share with her followers what to do if they know of someone going through a tough time
‘After a horrible day when the morphine increased and she was finally resting during her first Immunoglobulin Replacement Therapy (plasma transfusions) her stats dropped. No parent should know this feeling. I don’t know how we made it through. But she did. Today the fight starts over again.
Leave groceries on their doorstep. Freeze meals. Bring coffee. Turn up for a hug then leave.
‘There are so many parts of life that we won’t ever be able to understand unless we experience them ourselves, but we can try. I never knew the amount of love, hope, isolation, pain and suffering possible until caring and fighting for a chronically ill bub every day.’
Ms Stein said that for anyone out there going through a tough time but ‘doesn’t know what to do or say’ and ‘thinks it is best to stay away until tough times pass’ – ‘please don’t’.
‘If you ask “what can I do” and they don’t give clear direction, do what you can anyway,’ she continued.
‘Every day is a fight, but yesterday was the worst of our lives. Ru had urgent surgery for her intestinal malrotation a few days ago,’ the doting mother wrote
‘Leave groceries on their doorstep. Freeze meals. Bring coffee. Turn up for a hug then leave. Watch their kids while they take a shower or a nap. Please don’t stop texting even if they don’t reply, they probably don’t have words to explain it.
‘Ask if they need help paying rent, bills or with Centrelink forms as you know they haven’t been able to work in a year.’
Ms Stein suggested asking whether they need help getting to the hospital or asking if they need to talk or ‘sit together in silence.
‘Don’t tell them everything will be okay if they “just think positive sunshine and rainbows”. Please don’t assume we are on the same journey as other new parents. Please don’t ask “what’s wrong with her” just to know, and do nothing,’ Ms Stein said.
‘Please don’t assume anyone has enough support around them as this is not always the case, and can be a difficult thing to admit. I have been begging for help and understanding from Doctors, family and friends this past year and try to focus on those who have remained and not feel the hurt of who is not here.
‘There are so many parts of life that we won’t ever be able to understand unless we experience them ourselves, but we can try. I never knew the amount of love, hope, isolation, pain and suffering possible until caring and fighting for a chronically ill bub every day,’ she said
‘At the end of all the s**t days these things go out the window. Because it’s not about me and Pat, it’s our beautiful girl that doesn’t deserve any of this.’
Ms Stein took to her page to announce the birth in April and said their ‘little warrior safely arrived earth side a few weeks ago’.
‘The first moment we met her we knew that we would go through it all again, a thousand times over,’ she wrote on her Instagram page, Tuula Vintage.
‘I have been offline while living in the hospital as she has been in the special care nursery, and will continue to be happily immersed in her for the next little while but sincerely appreciate everyone’s overwhelming support.’
Ms Stein, who is believed to have given birth few weeks early, endured a challenging pregnancy with a number of complications.
Ms Stein said that for anyone out there going through a tough time but ‘doesn’t know what to do or say’ and ‘thinks it is best to stay away until tough times pass’ – ‘please don’t’
Ms Stein, who is believed to have given birth few weeks early, endured a challenging pregnancy with a number of complications
Ms Stein’s entire pregnancy announcement can be read here
She documented some of these with her 2.5 million followers and shared the highs and lows of her experience.
The stunning influencer, who is known for her idyllic photographs, first opened up about her rocky pregnancy after revealing that she was seven months pregnant.
In her announcement, Ms Stein shared a stunning black and white snap of herself and detailed the complications she had faced in the pregnancy due to being hit by a car when she was 16.
The stunning influencer, who is known for her idyllic photographs, first opened up about her rocky pregnancy after revealing that she was seven months pregnant
In her announcement, Ms Stein shared a stunning black and white snap of herself and detailed the complications she had faced in the pregnancy due to being hit by a car when she was 16
Ms Stein revealed her pregnancy was an ‘unexpected miracle’ as she wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to have biological children.
‘I experienced multiple pelvic and internal injuries after being hit by a car at 16 with ongoing pain and limitations, and was warned of what might never come to be,’ she wrote.
‘I’ve always wanted to adopt (as my incredible mum was) and my partner and I had been talking about it again just before this unexpected miracle happened.’
Ms Stein explained that she wouldn’t have shared her story and the ‘highs and lows of the pregnancy’ online if she didn’t think it was important.
‘I have been struggling with antenatal depression and hope that speaking out might just help heal myself, and someone else too,’ she continued.
‘At our 20 week scan they noticed the lack of amniotic fluid that I had unknowingly been leaking due to my old bladder injury and was diagnosed with PPROM (broken waters),’ she said
‘At our 20 week scan they noticed the lack of amniotic fluid that I had unknowingly been leaking due to my old bladder injury and was diagnosed with PPROM (broken waters).
‘With pre-labour symptoms and anticipating a very, very early arrival I was admitted to hospital in Sydney on bed rest once viable at 24 weeks.
We aren’t in the complete clear but know that nothing ever really is.
‘I don’t know the words to describe how hopeless I felt… not being able to control my own body, provide for my baby or see hope that we would make it through.’
Ms Stein said that while her partner was a ‘rock of support and positivity,’ she has found the last few months the ‘loneliest’ of her life.
But despite the complications, Ms Stein said she had experienced her ‘first true moment of excitement and relief that things will be okay.’
Ms Stein said that while her partner was a ‘rock of support and positivity,’ she has found the last few months the ‘loneliest’ of her life
‘We have a little warrior who is beating all of the odds. I have been allowed home for the first time since late last year and the cloud of anxiety is slowly lifting,’ she wrote.
‘Thank you to the doctors, midwives and hospitals who have gone above and beyond for us, including all of the women I met while sharing hospital rooms learning about each other’s journeys.
‘We are so grateful to have come this far and be in this position that so many can only dream to reach. We aren’t in the complete clear but know that nothing ever really is. For now we are going to lay low and enjoy every extra week of waiting to meet our miracle.’
‘Thank you to the doctors, midwives and hospitals who have gone above and beyond for us, including all of the women I met while sharing hospital rooms learning about each other’s journeys,’ she wrote
Since posting, the popular blogger has been inundated with messages of support.
‘Thank you for sharing, you make social media more human. I will keep you in my prayers. Stay strong, the journey is worth it,’ one follower wrote.
‘Thank you for sharing this story. What a wonderful miracle. Wishing you health and happiness in this journey,’ another added.