Ben Byler folding one of their two 3-seat strollers. (hi-res version)
Ben Byler loading Charlie (in carseat) into the family van. (hi-res version)
Nov. 21, 2007 (St. Petersburg, FL) It will truly be a full house at the Bylers’ Wesley Chapel home this Thanksgiving. The last of the Byler sextuplets, Charlie, is being discharged from All Children’s Hospital today – just in time for the holiday.
Charlie Craig Byler was born the smallest among Florida’s first sextuplets at barely over two pounds on September 1st. He and his four brothers and one sister were immediately transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at All Children’s Hospital. While each of the babies had their individual challenges with breathing and feeding, Charlie faced the additional difficulty created by a vascular ring, an unusual formation of the aorta or surrounding vessels that encircles the trachea and esophagus. This can lead to breathing and digestive difficulties, and sometimes requires surgery. Thankfully, Charlie has done well enough avoid any need for surgery thus far, but will warrant close follow-up in the weeks and months to come. He’s already strong enough to have almost tripled his birth weight – now six pounds, a key factor in determining his ability to go home.
Considering mom Karoline Byler wasn’t due to deliver until mid-November, the sextuplets are home sooner than anyone expected – a reflection of the great care their parents took during her pregnancy and the hard work of delivery and care teams at Bayfront Medical Center and All Children’s NICU. Brady Christopher was the first of the Byler Bunch to leave All Children’s on October 18th, followed by Eli Benjamin and Mackenzie Margaret on October 29th. Jackson Robert headed home November 2nd, followed by Ryan Patrick on November 10th.
Charlie has already experienced some special moments in the media spotlight. Big sister Zoe, now four years old, was the first person to hold him - a moment captured in photographs made available to news media in mid-September. He also had a special visit from another famous Charlie – Florida Governor Charlie Crist – on September 14th.
