Featured Patient Stories
As doctors, there is nothing better than seeing our patients and their families feeling better and moving on. We're honored and inspired in sharing these stories of bravery and medical breakthrough with you.
On December 4, 2008, our lives changed dramatically when we took our 3 week old to the emergency room because he seemed very lethargic and refused to eat. After hours in the emergency room and multiple attempts to obtain Aidan's blood and to start an IV to give him fluids, the decision was made to admit Aidan because "he just didn't look right". A call was placed to Dr. Lavandosky, the pediatric intensivist on call for the hospital. After hearing the story from the emergency room doctor, Dr. Lavandosky came to the hospital to see Aidan. It wasn't until that point did we start to understand how sick Aidan really was.
Dr. Lavandosky told us that Aidan most likely had coarctation of the aorta, a narrowing of the main blood vessel supplying blood to the body from the heart. A smaller blood vessel had closed and this was why Aidan was so sick. Dr. Lavandosky quickly intubated Aidan, put in a central line and started medications to keep Aidan stable. He called his transport team to fly Aidan to the pediatric intensive care unit where Aidan would need immediate emergency surgery.
At this point my husband and I, both first time parents, were overwhelmed and frightened by everything we had seen and been told. Dr. Adler arrived with the helicopter team and quickly prepared Aidan for transport. Although we could not believe what was happening, we understood that everything that was being done was necessary and that Aidan was in the very best hands. We arrived at the PICU shortly after Aidan, and once there met with the cardiac surgery team who was preparing to take Aidan to the OR. The surgery took several hours, and once back in the PICU, we met Dr. Duncan who would be the intensivist caring for Aidan after his surgery. Although the hours after surgery are very busy with many things going on at one time, Dr. Duncan always took the time to explain everything that she and her team were doing for Aidan and what to expect over the course of the evening. As Aidan got stronger, he was able to be taken off of the ventilator, and within 5 days, we were back home in Naples preparing to enjoy the upcoming first holiday season with our son.
Had it not been for the skill and knowledge of the doctors from Pediatric Critical Care of South Florida, this story may not have had such a happy ending.
