Along with oldest son Aidan McIntosh, 4 ½,
Olympic champion figure skater Scott Hamilton, 49, and his wife Tracie, 38, introduce their second boy, Maxx Thomas, in the latest issue of People. Now 3 months old, it's a miracle the littlest Hamilton is here at all.
Click below for the photo and interview highlights, including their journey through infertility and Maxx's difficult start to life.
Trying to conceive:
Scott fought off testicular cancer in 1997, with no effect on his fertility. However, in 2004, he was diagnosed with a nonmalignant brain tumor near his pituitary gland, requiring radiation to shrink -- and that took its toll. Scott's body stopped producing testosterone.
The couple tried for a year to conceive naturally. Seeing no results, they considered in-vitro as a last resort. Instead, they visited UCLA endocrinologist Dr. Christina Wang, who prescribed two different hormones to spike Scott's testosterone and therefore stimulate sperm production, a method which has a success rate of over 80%.
However, like fertility treatments for women, they're anything but easy. One of the medications Scott kept in the home refrigerator and had to mix himself. The two hormones were self-injected three times a week, back-to-back, into Scott's stomach and thigh. By April 2007, the couple had spent $23,000 on treatment -- insurance didn't cover the expenses.
T: We always knew we'd like a couple of kids.
S: You have one for you and have a second one for the first one.
I did it first thing in the morning. The [stomach shot] always stung, even though it was the smaller needle. The [thigh] shot required a 5/8 needle and a full insulin-type syringe. If I hit a vein, I could cause a gusher of blood, so I had to be careful. People say you can't give yourself a shot, but when you're faced with it, you do whatever it takes.
T: I was always apologizing to him. I'd hear this 'Ow' from the bathroom and I'd feel badly. I told him he could stop anytime if he didn't want to go through with it.
S: It was 1 ½ years of nothing. I thought it just wasn't meant to be.
On finding out Tracie was pregnant:
S: I told Tracie we're done with fertility treatments and I can't do it anymore -- and bam! She got pregnant.
T: Just when we gave up, it was meant to be.
Telling Scott she was expecting:
When Aidan asked her about baby names in the car one day, Tracie thought maybe their son knew something she didn't.
T: I took a pregnancy test that day.
It was positive. She sent a cell phone photo of the positive test to Scott.
S: I said, "Are you sure? This is unbelievable!" Aidan was a gift, and Maxx is a miracle.
On the birth:
Maxx arrived "purple as a berry" and with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Fifteen slow minutes passed before he turned pink and finally let out a wail, much to the relief of his anxious parents.
S: I was scared to death. When he cried, we cried too. It was pretty amazing.
A positive outlook:
S: With what I've endured, if I can be happy, anyone can. [laughs] I'm a short, bald, half-neutured, chemo-ed, radiated male figure skater. What choice do I have but to be optimistic?
Source: People, April 21 issue
Photos by David Yellen.
Your Comments
aawwwwwww maxx looks so like his dad!! ok maxx has a little more hair!(aidan has that!)beautiful family...
I LOVE his quote about himself! It takes a really strong man to go through everything he's gone through--and then to be able to joke about it! And it also takes a strong woman to go through everything as well. It shows that God truly works miracles. I wish the best for Scott, Tracie, Aiden, and Maxx!
what an inspiring story! I have loved Scott Hamilton since he won the Olympics! he is so much fun to watch and I am so happy for him!
omg i love him!!! so funny!
interesting to hear the male side of infertility- usually we hear the woman speak about it.
our kids are almost exact in age! (4.5 and almost 4 months)
That is wonderful news about Scott's family. It sure must have been scary regarding Max's birth problems. I hope he'll be okay and that there's no lasting effects from being "purple" for 15 minutes.
It was so interesting to read about Scott's fertility situation. Too rarely do we hear about problems with male fertility, and what options there may be if the opportunity to harvest sperm beforehand was not available. It is excellent Scott is so willing to be open and upfront about his experiences, and even have a sense of humour. This is sure to give men in similar situations knowledge and encouragement that even though it may take a year or two, there are chances they can take.
What an insperation. There have been lots of babies named Max lately. They made it more unique w/ an extra x!
He's a cute little baby!
The cord around the neck is actually not a concern at all. The cord is quite protected by a substance called Wharton's Jelly and compression that causes any problems is quite rare. In fact some believe that having the cord around the neck protects it from compression during the pushing stage.
A few links to learn more: http://www.homebirth.net.au/2008/03/cord-around-neck.html
http://sagefemme.blogspot.com/2007/10/nuchal-cords.html
The best way to help a newborn if they are born non-responsive is to keep the cord intact and have mother talk to and gently rub the baby. They usually come around quickly and the pulsating cord keeps oxygen rich blood coming to them.
melanie, you took the words right out of my mouth~ all of them.
Look at Maxx's red hair... so cute!
For some reason, in that second picture, Scott kind of reminds me of Paul Giamatti in the John Adams miniseries on HBO. (Which I've really liked).
Their children are very cute.
I am beyond thrilled for them. Since I loved watching Scott Hamilton skate on tv when I was a kid. All the things he has been through, having a beautiful wife and children must be the icing on cake. Congrats to them!
Congratulations Hamilton Family!
I think Scott is incredibly inspirational! Talk about courageous, strong, caring, positive... and sweet, funny and super-talented to boot --WOW!
A huge!! applause also to his wife Tracie, for providing so much support and love to Scott during his ordeal.
Just love this family! I hope to see and read about them many years from now!
What an inspiring story! I love Scott Hamilton and it's amazing he can still have a sense of humor after all he and his family have been through.
I also had a pituitary tumor and went through fertility treatments to conceive my son who was born on March 22. His name is Max. I love success stories.
I was surprised to read CBB reader/poster Megan's comments regarding nuchal cords.
Her post mentions "The cord around the neck is actually not a concern at all." "The best way to help a newborn if they are born non-responsive is to keep the cord intact and have mother talk to and gently rub the baby. They usually come around quickly and the pulsating cord keeps oxygen rich blood coming to them."
I believe that this information is slightly misleading, as this method would only be used for homebirthed or un/minimally assisted hospital-birthed infants who showed no other signs of demise and the delivery itself presented no other complications.
Several studies have shown that there is actually a high percentage of complications when a nuchal cord is present: one of the most common is heart rate deceleration, but also hypoxia and resulting acidosis, meconium, low APGAR scores, and low birthweight.
All cords are different: they may be lacking in the amount of Wharton's Jelly, can be thick or thin and can come in a variety of lengths; longer cords being more prone to true knots and fetal entanglement.
Also, infants (as in the case of little Maxx) are going to need more aggressive resuscitation efforts than those mentioned by Megan. Some babies are going to need warming , suctioning and in many cases oxygen.
As posters, we need to be careful that we don't mislead other readers, as our statements are our opinions (while sometimes factual) and may be generally misunderstood as "what worked for you will work for me".
I love truly happy stories like this...miracles, no less! Congrats to the Hamiltons on the birth of little Maxx and on having Aidan as "big brother."