Children's Care Fund Testimonial

Kori's Mother, Crystal

Our journey with UPMC Hamot’s NICU started January 11th, 2023! I woke up that morning already a patient at UPMC Hamot due to complications with what is called Placenta Previa.

I had already been in and out of the hospital due to bleeding and at this time I was going on a straight two weeks there!

That morning I woke up, had a big breakfast, felt pretty good and decided to get in the shower. As I’m in the shower I started to hemorrhage so I pulled the emergency bell and nurses were in my room within seconds! I got back in the bed, the nurses put the monitor on me to listen to the baby, while doctors rushed in to evaluate the situation. The decision was made quickly that at 29 weeks pregnant it was determined that having an emergency c-section was safest for both myself and my baby.

At 29 weeks, 2.9 pounds 15” long my daughter, Kori Simone Parker was born! My husband was there by my side and was able to take a couple of quick pictures, then she was whisked away to the NICU. She was immediately put on a bubble CPAP which is oxygen to help her breathe while allowing to see if she can breathe some on her own. Later that day it was evident she needed a little help and she had to be intubated for 24 hours to allow her lungs and body to relax. She was also given Surfactant which helps babies premature lungs inflate and deflate. At this time she also couldn’t hold her temperature so she was put into an incubator where she stayed for the next 6 weeks until graduating to an open crib.

Our journey was 71 days long and in that time the staff, (nurses, doctors, PAs, front desk) seriously became family. We could have not gone through this tough time without them! Kori went through being incubated, poked and prodded, NG tube for feeding, she had a large PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus), a heart defect, that we were so close to her needing open heart surgery but thanks to the amazing staff we started medicine therapy to try and see if the PDA will close on its own and amazingly it worked! She had to have an echocardiogram done every other week. She now has follow ups with a cardiologist.

Kori was making great strides and one day closer to being home. She had to learn to eat on her own and really did excellent! What kept us from going home was really her respiratory, her little lungs just had to work extra hard so she had to continue being on what is called a bubble c-pap high flow! When she had hit all her milestones in the NICU, they start a countdown, which means in 5-7 days if she does not have any d-stats (drop in heart rate and oxygen level) she can finally go home! She did it!! On March 22nd my husband and I finally could take our baby home! 71 days was our journey and as much as we wanted to go home I knew I would really miss the people that saved our girl’s life! They are truly heroes and will be a part of my family forever!

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