‘Little fighter’: Beaufort baby born premature 1,000 miles away to celebrate 1st birthday
Treyton Starich is just a few weeks from celebrating his first birthday.
The Wonder Baby already has overcome obstacles some adults couldn’t muster.
Born 12 weeks early last December, Treyton spent 130 consecutive days in hospitals before returning to the Lowcountry in May to his family’s home on Lady’s Island. His mother Megan, father Jim, and older brothers Nicholas and Rhett were ecstatic to be together again.
But even before Treyton arrived home, his family knew trips to the hospital would still be frequent and surgery on his skull would eventually be needed, Megan Starich said.
Last year, when Megan Starich was six months pregnant, the family traveled to Wisconsin to visit relatives for the holidays. On Christmas day, Starich unexpectedly went into labor. Treyton was born the next day — three months early — at Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
Treyton was too tiny to be released from the hospital, so his father and brothers drove home to Lady’s Island in time for the start of school in January, while Starich stayed in Wisconsin with Treyton, 1,050 away. The family was separated almost 100 days before Treyton was able to fly to Savannah.
The Island Packet first wrote about the Starich family in April after Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling and state Rep. Shannon Erickson helped get Treyton the medical flight to Savannah’s Memorial Health University Medical Center from the hospital in Wisconsin.
Treyton was diagnosed with Craniosynostosis. His skull fused too soon, doctors told his family, and that could put pressure on his brain. The condition occurs in one out of 2,000 live births and affects males slightly more often than females, according to Columbia University Department of Neurology.
On July 5, Treyton underwent surgery. Doctors cut along the fusion line in his skull and removed two small segments, allowing the skull to grow together again.
Post-surgery, Treyton has had to wear a helmet and will have to do so until at least next summer.
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The one the hospital provided was bland and impersonal. His mom wanted to fix that. She contacted multiple groups on Facebook, connecting finally with local artist Randi Owens Arroryo.
Arroyo, who lives in Okatie, worked on a design with Starich that features the Wisconsin Badgers because that’s the state where Treyton was born.
“I also wanted something fierce because he’s a little fighter,” Starich said. “He’s going through a lot and has been through a lot.”
In less than 48 hours, Arroyo had painted the design on the helmet and returned it to Treyton right before Arroyo and her family boarded a plane to visit friends in Wisconsin. A neat coincidence, Starich and Arroyo agree.
“It’s funny there was this Wisconsin connection,” Arroyo said. “I’m really honored she let me paint the helmet. To do that for Megan and her family seemed like the right thing to do.”
A week ago, Treyton was upgraded to a new helmet. His family hopes Arroyo will be able to work her magic on this one, too.
A $106,000 bill for the medical services Treyton received in Wisconsin still looms over the family, who have other major medical issues. Treyton has chronic lung disease, which his mom says will prevent him from ever playing sports. Jim Starich is a disabled veteran. Son Rhett has cerebral palsy. Megan Starich said their insurance company had covered all Treyton’s bills from South Carolina without any issue, but the charges from Wisconsin haven’t been paid. The Wisconsin insurer and the South Carolina insurer each say the other should take care of the bill.
Starich said she’s been making small payments each month and still has a GoFundMe page, but she hopes the finances are resolved soon.
She believes everything happens for a reason, though, and is thankful to have her family of five together again.
The Starich family is looking forward to the holidays — Treyton’s first Thanksgiving and Christmas, and his birthday Dec. 26.
Nicholas and Rhett both joined Cub Scouts. Nicholas will perform with his school choir, and Rhett plans to bowl in the Special Olympics. The whole family volunteered on Thanksgiving this year helping to hand out food at the Port Royal Baptist Church. Next: the Beaufort Christmas parade, where they met Mayor Billy K last year.
“You can truly get through anything,” Starich said. “We’re a shining example of that.”
