My Spunky, Smart, and Sassy Little Girl - by Shelby Collins

Hello! My name is Shelby Collins, and I am the mommy of Juliauna who is currently 4 years old. Juliauna is a TS butterfly! She was born at 36 weeks and was 4lbs 4oz. While she was in utero, she measured small and had some heart concerns. We were followed by my OB/GYN and a high-risk OB/GYN. When she was born, she was transferred right away to the NICU.

She could not breathe, suck, or swallow on her own. She was in the NICU for 14 days. While she was there, they did several tests on her. She was being seen by cardio, genetics, G.I., speech, nephrology, neuro, and many more - but those are to name a few. Genetics got involved because she has the top part of her left pinky missing, a dimple in her back, low set ears, and slightly droopy eyes.

Their recommendation was to have a karyotype done to see what she may or may not have. I agreed to the blood work and understood it wouldn’t come back for a while. She was born in March of 2021, and the results came back in May of 2021. That’s when I found out she was a Turner syndrome butterfly.

I immediately started looking for Turner syndrome clinics and support groups. I had no idea what to expect or what I was “in for”. We are in Northern Kentucky, so we were able to attend the TS clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. This was the best decision I have ever made!

Her Endocrinologist is wonderful and advocates so much for her. If I ever have a problem or her pediatrician just isn’t understanding, I know I can go to her for everything. She is the one who has ordered all the referrals for Juliauna for specialists at Children’s. Juliauna is seen by a lot of doctors, and I don’t have anything bad to say about them!

Juliauna is a 4 almost 5-year-old spunky, smart, and sassy little girl. She is defiantly a fighter! She is in an all-day Special Ed preschool. She loves pink, baby dolls, her bike, Bluey, Peppa Pig, Tangled, and K-Pop Demon hunters. She is smaller than most her age, which is the “norm” for girls with Turner syndrome. She has asked to be put in gymnastics and T-ball, so we are going to try them this spring. She has overcome a lot in just 5 short years. I can’t wait to see what progress she makes and the things she does in the future. Just keep swimming!