My 11-year old son, L, was fishing with two friends at a creek behind my house and I had called him on his phone to tell him it was time to come home - he had a basketball game in an hour and he needed to get ready. A few minutes later I looked out the side door of my home and saw one of his friends running up the hill, my heart dropped. The friend said L was in the creek, trapped in the creek in our utility vehicle. I ran, screamed and passed his other friend running up the hill. Luckily the Volunteer Fire Department next door to our home was having a BBQ Chicken Sale and they were outside. The fireman heard our screams and ran/drove to the creek and jumped into action; called 911 and worked feverishly to get L out of the seatbelt he was trapped in.
I was taken back up to my home while I waited for L's father, we were told to drive to Wilson Medical Center because EMS was taking him there. I was so scared as a previous ICU nurse, I knew L had been under water for at least 10-15 minutes and I knew this was not good. When we arrived at Wilson Medical Center we were told the helicopter from Vidant was on the way to get L. My sweet baby boy was intubated and cold, but he had good vital signs and was stable enough for the flight. The 2 flight nurses came in, spoke with L's father and me and told us where to go and quickly got L on the helicopter, this is where our amazing journey with Vidant started and we are so thankful for the facility and the staff at this one of a kind medical center.
My family and I were met in the Vidant Emergency Department and were quickly taken to the PICU where we waited to see L. The first people we came in contact with were Dr. Matthew Ledoux, Dr. Hunter Johnson (Resident) and Cindy Keel, PNP. L was surrounded by nurses and other medical professionals who explained to us what they were doing and what we could expect. Dr. Ledoux and Dr. Johnson were very kind, and they did not sugar coat the situation. We knew L was fighting for his life. They were all very honest with us, telling us the positives, but also outlining the challenges.
Over the course of the next 4 days, L's father and I were surrounded by our family and friends and the amazing staff in the PICU. They treated us and L as if we were the only ones in the entire PICU. I told the nurses that L did not like to be by himself so whenever we would step out to take a quick walk or visit someone in the waiting area, a nurse would sit by his bedside until we returned, ensuring L was never alone. One nurse offered us a radio as we told her L loved country music, he was a true country boy at heart, an old soul for sure. She found a country station and the radio stayed in the entire time he was in his room.
Sadly, L passed away just days later, as his brain simply could not recover from the damage of being without oxygen for an extended period of time-Dr. Ledoux, Dr. Johnson, and Dr. Boutilier cried alongside L's father and I. they hugged us, allowed us to take all the time we wanted with L, never rushed us or made us feel like we were not a priority.
The care, compassion and professionalism the staff in the PICU and beyond showed us that Vidant was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. Nurses and respiratory therapists came back on their days off to visit L and our family, truly amazing!
These people are angels from God and they deserve to be recognized for the outstanding work they do and for the care and compassion they provided not only to our sweet baby boy L but to many others day in and day out.
Again, thank you for everything you do and my family and I will always be grateful for the fact that L was able to receive his care at Vidant Medical Center. Vidant Medical Center has a huge new group of fans and supporters and we hope we can provide support in the future to the facility and possibly to other families who are experiencing what we experienced.