Our Story: Arkansas Meets Maine: A Donor-Recipient Story (WGME 4-part news segment on Meeting Cambrie)

Kim Block with WGME Maine is the news anchor who was placed in our lives by chance.
She connected our families together by only having an email from our family and a friendship with the only pediatric heart surgeon in Maine through a "Doctors Without Borders" trip taken together a few years earlier. It was only suitable that we had her cover our meeting for the very first time...

Part 1: (aired April 2014)

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4: (aired June 2014)

Our Events

*8/8/10 - 1-year Anniversary of Eli's Passing & we find out we are expecting a baby- a true miracle. No fertility drugs.

*8/7/10 - Project E.L.I. Documentary Premiere

*8/3/10 - The twins 1st birthday celebrated at "Eli's House".

* 8/18/09 - Walker released from NICU to go home!

* 8/8/09 - Eli passed away in his parents arms at 2:30 a.m.

* 8/7/09 - Eli is still breathing and ACH & UAMS make arrangements to transport Eli over to UAMS to be with Walker and family in his final hours.

* 8/6/09 - We took our Precious Eli off life support at 8:30 p.m.

* 8/5/09 - Eli has surgery to close spinal cord. We received news that Eli would not have a quality of life.

* 8/4/09 - Received news that Eli had multiple anomalies- meaning there was a lot more wrong with him than expected.

* 8/3/09 - The twins were taken via c-section at 36 weeks

* 5/21/09 - 25 week Ultrasound to check on Eli. Will also meet with Genetic Team at UAMS. Scheduling w/Children's Hospital for Eli's surgery preparation.

* 5/16/09 - Finished the boys nursery!

* 5/7/09 - 23 week checkup. Listened to heartbeats. Q & A session with doctors.

* 4/9/09 - Ultrasound detects Neuro Tube Defect in Baby A

* 4/9/09 - 20 week ultrasound says we're having BOYS!

* 2/5/09 - 1st Appt. w/ Dr. Wendell at UAMS. Heartbeats 170 & 180. Video showed they were growing a week apart. Baby A was given a 50/50 chance of living.

* 1/23/09 - Bleeding - 4th ultrasound showed Subchrionic Hermorrage - Heartbeats both 168. Dr. Batres referred us to High Risk Specialist at UAMS

* 1/21/09 - 3rd ultrasound - Heartbeats 162 & 152

* 1/13/09 - 2nd ultrasound - Heartbeats 122 & 138

* 1/7/09 - 1st ultrasound - TWINS w/ perfect heartbeats 121 & 122

* 1/2/09 - HCG 5,521

* 12/26 /08 - HCG 617

* 12/23/08 - We received our Christmas Present! BLOOD TEST POSITIVE FOR PREGNANCY! HCG 251.

* 12/15/08 - Doc office called to tell us that they managed to freeze 5 embryos of the 8 left.

* 12/14/08 - Embryo Transplant

* 12/10/08 - Doc. office called. Said all 10 eggs fertilized and look great!

* 12/9/08 - Egg Retrieval Surgery

* 12/8/08 - Ovidrel shot at 12:30 a.m.

* 11/30/08 - Start Stimulatory injections Bravelle and Menapur with our Lupron shots

* 11/23/08 - Home Study for DHS!
* 11/20/08 - Invitro process begins: Invitro Class at the clinic. Start Lupron shots.

* 10/27/08 - Started Loestrin 24 FE Birth Control

* 10/22/08 - Failed Femera Cycle

* 10/18/08 - Final Adoption Class 9!

* 10/11/08 - Adoption Class 7 & 8

* 10/4/08 - Adoption Class 5 & 6

* 9/28/08 - Started Femera treatment again with Bravelle shots days 3 thru 12

* 9/27/08 - Adoption Class 3 & 4

* 9/20/08 - Adoption Class 1 & 2

* 9/17/08 - period. Failed Femera cycle

* 9/4/08 - insemination

* 8/24/08 - Started Femera: a different fertility treatment this month

* 8/16/08 - Lab Results reveal testing came out fine. 2 minor situations, 1 fixable with asprin. Doctor says everything is looking good.

* 8/24/08 - Started Femera: a different fertility treatment this month

* 8/8/08 - Doc office called. Said my anticardiolipon blood test results came back abnormal but not a severe abnormal. Said they were still waiting on the rest of the testing.

* 8/7/08 - Our 1st DHS adoption visit! Wendy came out to see our home and ask Jesse and I questions on why we would like to adopt.

* 8/6/08 - We consult with doctor to talk about doing complete series of blood tests to confirm a problem. 8 vials are taken and sent off.

* 8/4/08 - 2nd Miscarriage Confirmed. Blood tests reveal HCG level dropping.

* 7/08- Postive Preg test!

* 7/08 - 4th Clomid cycle w/Ovidrel injection. 5 eggs detected! Injection given early to stop all eggs from developing b/c of risk of multiple birth.

* 6/08 - 3rd Clomid cycle - 100 mg. Early Ovulation detected. Missed attempt. Failed.

* 5/08 - 2nd Clomid cycle - 100mg. Failed attempt

* 4/08 - 1st Clomid cycle - 50mg. No ovulation detected that month. Failed attempt

* 3/08 - blood tests detect that my Progesterone is low.

* 2/08 - HSG Uterus Dye test administered. Cleared from defects. Healthy Uterus!

* 1/08 - False Positive Pregnancy test from Doctor on ultrasound. Was referred to Arkansas Fertility & Gynecology in Little Rock.

* 11/13/07 - D&C surgery to take fetus. Might as well have taken our hearts too.

* 11/8/07 - Ultrasound detects no heartbeat. D&C scheduled.

* 10/07 - Complications lead me to OB/GYN at 6w 2d. Hearbeat detected a few days later at 72 bpm which is a fatal low for a fetus

* 9/07 - Positive Preg. Test

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Arkansas Meets Maine: A Donor-Recipient Story (WGME 4-part news segment on Meeting Cambrie)