As told by his mother, Heather.
Adam and Heather have always wanted to have children together. It took longer than expected and a little help from fertility medicine because Heather was diagnosed with PCOS. In May 2014, on the last round of medication before looking into In Vitro Fertilization, Adam and Heather were so excited to find out they were pregnant with their first child. Throughout the pregnancy, everything was perfect. Baby Gavin and Heather were very healthy. At 2:30 AM on January 26th Heather went into labor. They headed to the hospital ecstatic to meet their son. During labor, Heather developed a fever, and after hours of pushing and not enough progress being made, it was determined Heather would need to have a C-section. Gavin John Drinovsky was a beautiful and healthy baby boy born at 3:00 PM on January 26, 2015. He weighed 8lbs 15oz and 20in long. Everything seemed perfect.
As a precautionary measure, since Heather had a fever, Gavin was brought to the NICU to receive antibiotics and be monitored for 48 hours. Not long after he was brought in, he began to have episodes of apnea where he stopped breathing and eventually began having seizures. Eventually, Gavin required a ventilator to breathe for him and was transferred to the County Hospital NICU for more intensive care. At the County Hospital NICU, it was discovered that at some point Gavin had suffered a severe stroke that affected the left side of his brain. The doctors told Adam and Heather that their son may have some obstacles to overcome. They were looking forward to life with Gavin and to support him in every way possible. Throughout the day, he began to improve and that evening the breathing tube was removed. Optimism began to set in.
The next morning, on his second day of life, Heather received a phone call from the hospital, telling her that they needed to go there right away. Heather was not yet discharged from the delivery hospital, so Adam rushed to Gavin’s side. When Adam arrived at the hospital, the doctor informed him and his family that Gavin had suffered another spell of apnea requiring a long resuscitation. The doctors arranged helicopter transport to Phoenix Children’s Hospital to give him the best chance at recovery. Heather made it to his side just before he was flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
At Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Gavin received the best and most advanced care there is. Despite all of the efforts made, Gavin wasn’t able to recover. Gavin got to spend the last few hours of his life surrounded by his family. Adam and Heather were able to bathe, change his diaper, and dress him. Gavin passed away in his parents’ arms on the morning of January 29, 2015. Gavin spent time at three different hospitals during his short life and touched so many lives along the way. Adam and Heather love Gavin so much and miss him every day. They love to do random acts of kindness in memory of their son, Gavin. It makes them feel closer to him and that they are being the best parents they can be by keeping his memory alive.
“No act of kindness is too small. The gift of kindness may start as a small ripple that over time can turn into a tidal wave affecting the lives of many.” -Kevin Heath
View this video of Gavin’s life. Learn more on Facebook or by visiting Heather’s blog.