Cooling beds give infants second chance
Delivering babies might seem routine for hospitals, but for babies born locally with brain injuries, there wasn't much doctors could until now. The Children's Hospital at HealthPark is now giving families the hope of a normal life.
The image of NFL player Kevin Everitt lying motionless on the football field, paralyzed from the neck down, is one that many sports fans will never forget.
On the way to the ER, his doctor made a gutsy decision to lower Everitt's body temperature to reduce the swelling around his spinal cord - allowing Everitt to make an amazing recovery.
Now, doctors at HealthPark hospital are using the same idea to save babies who are born with brain injuries.
Though he is happy and healthy now, four-months ago, Drake Evans had a much different story.
"I thought he was dead when he was born," said his mom, Ashley Evans.
Drake suffered a brain injury due to a lack of oxygen during his delivery.
Doctors rushed little Drake to the NICU at HealthPark, where he stayed in a cooling bed for 72 hours.
"He was freezing he was shaking. Yeah, it scared me; I didn't really know much about it. I was just thankful he was alive," Ashley said.
The blanket cools the babies' core temperature to 92 degrees - relieving pressure on the brain.
In the past, many babies born with brain injuries faced lifelong disabilities including poor vision, cerebral palsy, and seizures because there was nothing to protect and heal their brains - until now.
The treatment must start within six hours of the birth.
Before now, some babies didn't make it because there wasn't time to get them to another hospital.
The Children's Hospital has three cooling blankets right now – all of which were donated.
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