MEET DARREN & BENNETT
Samantha and Ryan were brand-new parents when their son, Darren, developed a severe case of pneumonia and RSV and needed to be transferred to MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH) from their local hospital. Three years later, when their younger son was born at 36-weeks, they made the choice to transfer to BBCH once again, confident that they’d receive the very best care. Today, Darren (age 6) and Bennett (age 3) are kind, active, and talkative boys- and it has been a joy to get to know them. Here, Samantha shares the stories of their experiences at BBCH.
Darren’s Story:
When Darren was 8 months old, he became very sick with what we originally thought was a yucky winter cold. When his symptoms worsened, we made a couple visits to our local emergency department, and Darren was diagnosed with RSV and (a week later) pneumonia. But despite treatment with antibiotics, his breathing would not return to normal. His pediatrician told us to bring Darren back to the ER immediately, and doctors determined that Darren needed a higher level of care than was available at our local hospital. Darren was transported via ambulance to MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH).
Once we arrived at the BBCH Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Darren was given many supports, including stronger antibiotics, oxygen, and fluids. The amazing team of doctors in the PICU immediately comforted us that Darren would be okay, but that he needed this high level of care since the combination of the RSV virus along with his serious case of pneumonia were impacting his ability to breathe and get the level of oxygen that he needed. We were so terrified and still remember that night as being the worst one of our lives. However, the bedside manner and compassion of the BBCH staff is something that we will never forget. Not only did they reassure us that our baby boy was in the best hands, but they cared for us as if we were their patients too. Darren spent 3 nights in the PICU, and then spent 1 night in the BBCH wing. In less than a week, he came home a completely different baby than he was the night he was transported there. The day he was discharged, he was acting like himself again, had more energy, and was showing more physical strength each day.
Due to the severity of his pneumonia, Darren developed asthma and has been treated by the amazing Dr. Anne Coates at MaineHealth Pediatric Specialty Care Pulmonology for over 5 years. With her incredible care, Darren’s asthma has been manageable and continues to improve. Darren is now 6 years old and is absolutely thriving in every way. He is a first grader who loves to read, craft, spend time with his family and friends, and will happily teach people all about superheroes. Darren takes Musical Theatre/Hip Hop dance class, and loves to learn about S.T.E.M. experiments.
Bennett’s Story:
Bennett was born at 36 weeks, after I went into preterm labor. When he arrived, he was adorably small while still being healthy overall. Once he was evaluated by the nurses and doctors at our local hospital, they noticed that he was having consistent apneas, and they were worried about his breathing. They decided that Bennett needed to be transported to a hospital that had a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to get the higher level of care and monitoring that he needed. We were given the choice between another hospital and MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (BBCH). After our incredible experience at BBCH with our older son Darren, it was an easy decision to have Bennett treated at BBCH as well.
An ambulance transported Bennett to BBCH, and we settled into his NICU room. We were able to stay in the family room of the NICU for one night. It was so difficult to balance having another child at home, while wanting to stay by Bennett’s side around the clock. The nurses were all so kind and understanding. Their empathy was something that I will never forget. Since I was battling all the highs and lows of being postpartum and having to be apart from my newborn, this was such a challenging emotional rollercoaster. They were the calm that I needed to get through this time. When my husband and I had to get home to our older son, the nurses promised to call with updates, as well as to take our calls when we wanted to check on Bennett. They gave us a bedtime overview each evening, and a morning update each day as well. He was on a specific watch for apneas while he slept, and they promised to call if he had apneas while we were gone. He did have two of them over his first few days and, as promised, they called and gave us a detailed plan of what to expect next to ensure that he was getting the care he needed to stay safe.
Bennett spent 10 days total in BBCH between the NICU, CCN, and pediatric wing. After a few days, my husband and I started to alternate days with Bennett in the NICU, to navigate work and childcare for our older son. The BBCH staff made us feel so supported and gave us peace of mind that someone was always watching over him when we couldn’t be there. Furthermore, they went above and beyond to complete his testing and check-ins before or after we were there, to help maximize our quality time with him for the hours that we could be there. I genuinely wanted to bring the nurses home with us, because their level of skill, knowledge, and peaceful energy while handling a preemie baby was beyond impressive.
Our little buddy is now 3 years old, full of life and laughter. Bennett loves Sesame Street, being read to, and playing outside. He recently started a preschool dance class, which he is loving. He may still be small, but he is mighty and has a BIG personality. We are so proud of his resilience, and forever thankful that he had the nurses and doctors at BBCH to help him, and our whole family, through those first days of his life.
