Miracles on Academy Avenue
“Our son, Elio, arrived unexpectedly early at 31 weeks via an emergency C-section,” says Alanna Parsons of Altoona. “His lungs hadn’t fully expanded.”
To help the precious preemie breathe, Elio was intubated, which means a tube was inserted through his mouth and into his airway.
“Though I couldn’t hold him, I got to see him for the first time and touch his tiny foot through the incubator before he was transported via Life Flight,” recalls Alanna.
Soon after he was born, on February 8, 2015, Elio was bundled and taken to Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville. Alanna arrived the next day, eager to hold her newborn baby boy.
“I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Elio had a feeding tube, IVs and several monitors attached to him. The nurses helped me take him and his many wires out of the incubator to tuck all three pounds of him under my shirt and close to my chest. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Elio spent one month in the hospital’s neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As he was getting close to being discharged, a routine echocardiogram showed he had an opening between two blood vessels from his heart.
“Despite his heart condition, Elio grew and thrived over the first year of his life,” says Alanna.
In the summer of 2016, Elio had two procedures to close the opening in his heart.
“Today we are blessed to have a happy, healthy and active 3 and ½ year-old little boy! We owe so much to the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger.”
To help the precious preemie breathe, Elio was intubated, which means a tube was inserted through his mouth and into his airway.
“Though I couldn’t hold him, I got to see him for the first time and touch his tiny foot through the incubator before he was transported via Life Flight,” recalls Alanna.
Soon after he was born, on February 8, 2015, Elio was bundled and taken to Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville. Alanna arrived the next day, eager to hold her newborn baby boy.
“I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Elio had a feeding tube, IVs and several monitors attached to him. The nurses helped me take him and his many wires out of the incubator to tuck all three pounds of him under my shirt and close to my chest. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
Elio spent one month in the hospital’s neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As he was getting close to being discharged, a routine echocardiogram showed he had an opening between two blood vessels from his heart.
“Despite his heart condition, Elio grew and thrived over the first year of his life,” says Alanna.
In the summer of 2016, Elio had two procedures to close the opening in his heart.
“Today we are blessed to have a happy, healthy and active 3 and ½ year-old little boy! We owe so much to the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger.”
If you’d like to make a gift to support kids like Elio at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, please click here.
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