But this problem with their baby defied her ability to fix things. She hated feeling helpless. She couldn't find a quick answer, and the questions destroyed any hope of sleep.
Had she done something to cause this? Her hair dye? The stress of running a business? The ups and downs with John?
She'd found one glimmer of hope online, however: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Its doctors specialized in diagnosing and treating birth defects, including gastroschisis and omphalocele. CHOP had recently opened a unit where, for the first time, mothers could deliver babies with birth defects.
Typically, even babies with known birth defects are delivered at regular hospitals. The sickest are then transferred to pediatric hospitals for specialized care. The $20 million Special Delivery Unit made it possible to deliver babies at CHOP.
The first baby born in the SDU arrived June 10, 2008. He had spina bifida - an exposed spinal cord.
Janaya learned that the eight-bed labor and delivery unit brought together CHOP's expertise in research, fetal medicine, and surgery to provide everything from prenatal diagnosis and delivery through neonatal treatment.
She grabbed the first available appointment, 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17.
A week to wait and wonder.
Janaya felt frazzled but determined as John drove them to CHOP's Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment.
Guards directed them to the elevators. Doctors waited and held the doors for all the patients to enter first. Janaya was struck by the staff's courtesy.
A nurse ushered them into an exam room.
Janaya could see that the ultrasound equipment was newer and looked more sophisticated than what had been used the previous week.
First, the doctors looked at her baby's heart.
It checked out.
Next they ruled out spina bifida. His brain was developing normally. He had no obvious kidney problems.
His lungs looked good, too.
The doctors told her it was gastroschisis. That was bad, she knew, but at least the baby didn't have a host of other problems.
The doctors examined the intestines, floating in the dangerous amniotic fluid that would inflame the delicate tissue not meant for such exposure. That could cause long-term damage.
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