Critical Care Transport: Willow's Story
Though Willow Noud was born a few days past her due date, she only weighed 4 lbs., 8 oz., and had some troubling complications.
“When I arrived at Liberty Hospital to be induced, Willow’s heart rate dropped. Thirty minutes later I was having a C-section,” said Kelsey Noud, Willow’s mom.
At birth, Willow was having trouble breathing and her blood sugars were undetectable.
“My placenta was really small and the doctors thought I might have lost some of my amniotic fluid during pregnancy, contributing to Willow’s respiratory problems.”
Quickly Willow’s birth turned into an emergency, requiring transport to the Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.
“They took Willow as soon as she was born,” Kelsey said. “I didn’t even get to hold her. It was a very scary situation.”
But when the Children’s Mercy Critical Care Transport team of Krista Westfall, EMT, Kelly Walther, RN, and Eric Sandoval, RT, arrived, Kelsey felt comforted.
“Once Willow was in the incubator, the Transport team brought her to me. That was the first time I got to see her and I was able to hold her hand,” Kelsey said. “They made sure I understood what was going on and communicated well with me. They were so kind and sweet. They congratulated me on Willow’s birth, snapped a few pictures of her face with my cell phone, and assured me they would take good care of her on the trip to the hospital.”
When Willow arrived in the NICU, EEG monitoring revealed she was having several seizures an hour. She was also jaundiced and had inhaled meconium (the baby’s first bowel movement) at delivery, causing further breathing problems and putting her at risk for infection.
Fortunately, doctors were able to treat Willow’s seizures and stabilize her condition. After 31 days in the NICU, she went home and today she is thriving.
“The doctors said Willow might not be able to eat, or talk, or walk, but at 4 months old, she’s eating and holding her head up. She’s defying the odds,” Kelsey said.
And the Transport team brought Kelsey comfort at a time when it was critically needed.
“Our encounter with the team was brief, but they were informative and kind,” Kelsey said. “When the team came in, they were smiling and said congratulations. I’ll never forget them.”
Critical Care Transport: Owen's story
As a 2-year-old, Owen Sheeley had an unexplained seizure. Testing showed nothing remarkable but after a few seizure-free months, Owen had another major seizure. He was taken to the nearest hospital where Children’s Mercy Critical Care Transport was contacted. Upon arrival, the team prepared Owen for a flight to Kansas City.
Critical Care Transport: Xavier 's story
What started as a normal school day for Xavier Scruggs, 17, quickly changed when he passed out at soccer practice. Revived by CPR, Xavier was taken to a local hospital. Unable to explain what had happened, the Children’s Mercy Critical Care Transport team was called to take Xavier to the Children’s Mercy Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
