WALKERTOWN, N.C. (WGHP) — Saturday, a Walkertown couple spent their first day at home with their newborn after weeks in the hospital.
In that time, Brittany Butner had a premature baby, underwent multiple surgeries and got married. The delivery, health scare and ceremony all happened within six days.
Brittany gave birth to a precious baby girl named Faylynn seven weeks early. Now she, her newborn and her new husband are at home healthy and recovering. They weren't always sure she'd make it to this point.
"It’s a wild journey actually," said Clint Butner, Brittany's husband. "It was unexpected."
It wasn't what Clint and Brittany planned. What started as a celebration of new life, quickly turned into fear that Brittany's life was at risk.
"They told me when they were rolling me down there to the cath lab that I was in critical condition and there was a possibility I might not make it through," she said.
On July 11th, three days after giving birth, Brittany was visiting her infant in the NICU when she started having chest pains and shortness of breath.
"I think we started to comprehend what was going on when they brought the defibrillator out and hooked the chest pads to me," she said.
Doctors rushed her into emergency surgery. Brittany had a heart attack at only 28 years old.
"That’s what everybody else said, the doctors too," said Brittany. "They were like you’re really young. This is very rare."
She made it through surgery number one, but number two was scheduled for a few days later. Unsure of how that procedure would go, the couple had an idea. They were supposed to get married in September. Why not move it up?
"He was like well why don’t y'all just do a little wedding ceremony and all of us have the same last name," said Brittany.
Novant Health team members quickly put together a cake, decorations and a bouquet. They even decorated Faylynn's bed and brought her up from the NICU to be a flower girl. Brittany and Clint said "I do" in the hospital room on July 13th, two days after her first surgery.
"It was special to me," said Clint. "I cherish every moment. I was excited and happy."
Brittany got a new last name and a new baby all in the span of a week.
Friday night, doctors released Faylynn from the NICU. A pink ribbon on the Butner's front door welcomed her home.
Brittany and Clint weren't sure the day would come when mom and baby both made it out of the hospital, but they feel lucky it did.
"We actually had somebody tell us yesterday that somebody has been praying for y'all hard," said Brittany. "Watching out for us."
Brittany is still going for cardiology checkups and might have to go to heart rehab. But she's got something to look forward to. The couple is planning to have a wedding ceremony on September 17th at Dewberry Farm in Kernersville.
0 Comments