TeKoa's Story
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Tekoa's battle started before he was even born, he was fighting for his life before he took his first breath, whilst he was still in his mother's womb. Madison's (TeKoa's Mother) waters completely ruptured at 21 weeks' gestation. The doctors said that statistically TeKoa would not make it to the viable gestation of 24 weeks and that he would more than likely die inside of his mother's womb and be brought into this world as a still born. But, despite all odds, Madison remained in hospital on strict bed rest until 26 weeks. at 26 weeks Madison experienced an Antepartum Hemorrhage and TeKoa went into fetal distress which led to him being born extremely premature at 26+1 weeks on the 3rd of June 2019. A tiny 750 grams (1 Pound 6 ounces), he was quickly intubated and connected to life support where his battle really began.
It was mentioned within a few days that TeKoa had pulmonary hypoplasia/hypoplastic lung disease (uncommon medical condition characterized by incomplete development of the lungs.) Over the next few months TeKoa nearly lost his life more times than his mother could count. He remained on life support and was faced with several close encounters with serious medical complications. During this time, he was diagnosed with Severe Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (The lungs and Airway are damaged causing tissue destruction in the alveoli of the lungs. Koa spent his first 5 months in the Intensive Care unit and underwent surgeries. He was then moved out of the ICU and onto the respiratory ward for another few months where he finally got to meet his brother and rest of his family for the very first time.
Tekoa came home on oxygen and cardiac and saturating monitoring 24/7. He was only home for 2 weeks before he was readmitted with a lung infection. This was the first readmission of a following 70 odd readmissions with aspiration pneumonias. These admissions ended in TeKoa being nasogastric fed instead of orally fed and eventually entirely PEJ/PEG tube fed.
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We instantly became frightened along with the rest of the world in 2020 when COVID-19 began spreading throughout the community in Western Australia. It was hard not to think that something was out to take TeKoa out. He had overcome so much including premature rupture of membranes, extreme premature birth, many surgeries and life threatening events all to face a global pandemic head on that ultimately attacks the lungs. I t was like we were never getting a break from fear.
He has spent majority of his life inside of Perth Children Hospital facing battles that most people will not endure in their entire life, and he still manages to do this with a smile on his face. TeKoa is now nearly 4 years old and remains on oxygen and tube fed. He struggles to breath every single day and requires many medications and inhalers to get him through the day.
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He has been diagnosed with many conditions over the past 4 years and majority of them stemming from his sever lung diseases. He has been a blessing to everyone that he meets and enjoys taking part in Telethon 2022. We do not know what the future holds for Koa, though we do know that we will not give up on allowing him to enjoy life as much as he possibly can.
