“They gave us our baby back, we’re so very thankful.”

Gurgling and cooing while sitting on her father Travis Miedema’s knee, four-month-old Georgia Miedema was the perfect little picture of health.

But that wasn’t always the case.

At 10-days-old Georgia was having coughing spells, followed by terrifying instances when she would stop breathing.

“She was choking and wheezing a lot,” her mother Lynsey Miedema recalled. “We didn’t know what was wrong, and it was terrifying to say the least.”

Georgia was sent to the Brantford General Paediatric Department where she was thoroughly examined by Paediatrician Dr. Sarangan Uthayalingam – affectionately referred to as Dr. U by BCHS staff and patients.

The initial diagnosis was unclear due to Georgia’s very young age, but it was initially thought that she had acid reflux. As they left the Paediatric Department, Dr. U gave the family a phone number so they could contact the unit directly if there were any further concerns.

“It was a rough night,” Lynsey said. “Then later the following morning Georgia started turning blue, so we immediately called Dr. Uthayalingam and he told us to come straight in.”

“He admitted us straight to the unit without having to wait at the Emergency Department, which was amazing. We were nervous to wait in an ED with other families because we didn’t know how fragile Georgia’s condition was.”

A series of tests were conducted that morning, but it would be two days before all of the complicated laboratory results came in and Georgia was admitted.

“She was getting worse and having more spells,” Lynsey recalled. “Every time she would eat she would have a spell and the monitoring equipment would start dinging.”

Travis and Lynsey were able to stay with Georgia in a comfortable room that included a bed, a crib and a reclining chair. It made a world of difference to the frightened parents who were anxious to discover what was ailing their infant daughter.

Lynsey and Travis can’t say enough about the care they received from the nurses in the Paediatric Clinic.

When Georgia’s symptoms worsened during the night, the Respiratory Therapist and nurses Karen Kroes, Marlene O’Neil and Jelena Stewart sprang into action, placing Georgia on high-flow oxygen.

“At this point the staff didn’t have a clear picture of what was wrong because all of the test results hadn’t returned yet,” Lynsey said.

“Jelena was amazing. She was somehow able to get an IV in the hand of this little two-week-old baby. We were so lucky to have her.”

“She also knew just what to do every time Georgia became unsettled,” Travis said. “I remember she had been crying for a good hour, and Jelena just flipped her on her stomach and she went back to sleep within minutes. We were so relieved when she did that.”

Another RN, Melissa Boakes “didn’t leave our side,” during the wait for test results.

“She was incredible,” Lynsey said. “I don’t think she even took a break the whole day.”

The tests concluded that Georgia had contracted Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, a potentially life-threatening virus that is preventable.

Infants and the elderly are at the highest risk of Pertussis.

“Thanks to effective vaccines, outbreaks of Whooping Cough have gone down significantly over the past few years. Her family were vaccinated, but Georgia was at an age where she hadn’t had her first vaccine yet,” Dr. U explained. “Now that we are in an age where more people are choosing not to vaccinate their children, the risk for contracting Pertussis is much higher. Sadly infants are the most vulnerable.”

“Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease, and we see first-hand how it can impact children. In this age group, Whooping Cough can stop them from breathing, and that’s certainly very concerning.”

Georgia’s symptoms didn’t include the characteristic ‘whoop-whoop’ sound that typically indicates a Pertussis infection, which further complicated the diagnosis.

Once the lab results confirmed Pertussis as the culprit, Dr. U immediately started Georgia on a five-day dose of antibiotics to lessen the severity of her illness. Georgia was later transferred to MacMaster Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for observation.

“The care we had at the BCHS was amazing,” Travis added. “We felt like the nurses that we had were literally just put there for us. They all have so much experience, and we always felt that no matter what happened, they would be able to take care of it.”

When asked why they strongly support the Brant Community Healthcare System, Lynsey was quick to reply.

“This reason,” she said while holding up Georgia. “They gave us our baby back, we’re so very thankful.”

As the Miedema family knows first-hand, when a health crisis or emergency affects you or a loved one, Brant Community Healthcare System is here to provide exceptional, professional and compassionate care in your time of need.

Behind each success of the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) Foundation is the generosity of our community, our donors and volunteers. This continued commitment has enabled us to put our patients first by helping us to provide the right equipment, at the right time, when it matters most.

Now is the time to make a difference, please consider making a gift today that is meaningful to you, and support a strong healthcare system for our community.

Your continued support plays an important part in allowing us to provide quality patient care. Thank you!

To make a secure donation online, click here:

[maxbutton id=”12″]

For more information on how you can make a donation or offer your support
to the 12 Days of Giving campaign, please contact the BCHS Foundation
at 519-751-5510 or by email at foundation@bchsys.org

NOW is the time to make a difference, please consider making a gift today
that is meaningful to you, and support a strong healthcare system for our community.

Thank you to our many generous sponsors!

COMMUNITY PARTNER:

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

.

Please support the Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation

When crisis or illness impacts you or a loved one, the BCHS is here for you in your time of need. 

Your gift today could help save a life tomorrow.