Hospitals team up to help save life of young girl who needed major surgery
Doctors are calling it a medical miracle. A baby girl was facing a life-or-death situation just two weeks after being born, but thanks to a lot of love, resilience and amazing medical care, little Penelope is writing an incredible story of survival.
She's now talking, walking and smiling; life바카라 게임 웹사이트s simple pleasures the family of 1-year old Penelope never thought they'd be able to enjoy.
This beautiful little girl was born in Akron, immediately facing some of the most challenging medical circumstances: a rare condition that was causing her liver to fail and a hole in her heart that required major surgery.
Pam Billups was worried she'd lose her granddaughter Penelope before she even got to know her.
"At the time she was in the ICU and they even said they just want to keep her alive,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Billups said.
Collaboration was key to survival. A partnership between Akron Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's meant Penelope could be flown to Cincinnati for a potential liver transplant and the all-important procedure to repair her heart.
Dr. Aki Asai is a Pediatric Hepatologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. He said Penelope was one of the sickest little patients he had ever had.
"When I was training, I had a case that was similar, and we lost the patient,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Asai said.
Grandma Pam was an emotional mess.
"I would just cry. I would just stare and look at her and she was just hooked up to all these things. It would just break your heart and there's nothing you could do,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Pam said.
Mom Dominica Treherne and Dad Alex Billups spent months at the Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati, hoping, praying their little girl could somehow beat what seemed like at times insurmountable odds.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Watching her hooked up to the oxygen machines, the facemask, like you could just look through the facemask and see her eyes and it was terrifying that she didn't know what was going on,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Alex said.
Penelope had to make it through a touch-and-go heart procedure that featured a lot of blood loss.
Her grandma prepared for the worst, saying "I resigned myself to the fact that we weren't going to have her anymore."
Then, another family's worst nightmare led to a dream come true for Penelope's.
She got a liver match, then a transplant and a new beginning, thanks to the gift of life from an organ donor.
Pam couldn't believe it.
"I'm so overjoyed, but at the same time I came close to knowing what that feeling is of losing someone, that my heart breaks for them,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Pam said.
Now, months later, Penelope is doing great and taking part in a cute tradition at Children's.
Transplant recipients get to dress their own bear and put it in a case with some new furry friends.
"Every day it's just great to know that she can play with her brother, she can run, she can go outside and enjoy the fresh air,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Dominica said.
The bear is allowed to leave the case and come home in five years.
In the meantime, Penelope's mom says her little girl has some growing up to do.
"She'll be starting school next year. It's just amazing,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she said.
Someday, Penelope will look back and realize amazing is the perfect way to describe the medical marriage between two hospitals that led to a medical miracle.