How Children’s Mercy Helped This Mom (And Auggie!) Breathe Easier
“Something isn’t right – I can feel it.”
That’s what Bianca, mom of 6-month old Auggie, whispered out loud as she stared at the heavy rise and fall of her son’s chest. For days, Auggie hadn’t been himself – stuffy, restless, lethargic, refusing to eat – and the things they were advised to try at home were no longer working.
“As a first-time mom, sometimes you question yourself: am I overreacting? Do I need to take him to the doctor or will he be okay? Should we pay for another visit? That’s what I consider a wheeze, but what if they don’t?”
As Auggie’s symptoms worsened, Bianca reached a point of feeling uncomfortable. She said the constant media coverage of respiratory illnesses and what popped up on the internet related to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) led to even more stress, so she decided it was time. Together, she and Auggie returned to their regular pediatrician.
Here, Bianca felt they were in good hands. Auggie receive a breathing treatment, a diagnosis of RSV and instruction that if things got worse, to go straight to Children’s Mercy. As night turned into a new day, so did Auggie’s symptoms, and Bianca found herself at a decision crossroads once again. As he lay there listless, skin slightly gray and with distinct wheezing, this one was easy to make: “We have to go now,” said Bianca.
With the guidance of Auggie’s doctor and the positive experiences she had with nieces and nephews at Children’s Mercy, Bianca felt confident in where she was taking her son. When she arrived, a full waiting room nearly made her stop in her tracks. But upon checking in, a nurse immediately came to her side and triaged Auggie back to expert arms. “The nurse was incredible. She saw his breathing and heard our situation and got us immediately back. That to me as a first-time mom with such a little baby made me feel affirmed and like I wasn’t crazy. It relieved so much stress.”
As providers began to assess and treat Auggie, Bianca’s emotions overflowed. “As they hooked him up to oxygen, suctioned him, etc. – all I could think was ‘am I too late?’ I bawled. The nurses held my hand, provided reassurance and distracted me so I could power through.”
After five hours of monitoring and care, Auggie was ready to head back to the comfort of his home. Given their recent journey, Bianca was relieved to hear the news but also a bit nervous to leave Children’s Mercy’s walls. “We saw so many great providers and got our test results quickly,” said Bianca. “Their communication was super clear and they even gave me options of how to continue to take care of him at home that would work for our family.”
In less than a week, Auggie was back to his usual self, and Bianca and her family were incredibly relieved and felt more prepared for when viral respiratory season may pop up again. “Breathing problems are not something to hesitate on,” said Bianca. “Trust your gut and go to the doctor if you think it’s needed. Nothing replaces the comfort of knowing your child is ok. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Feeling stressed and anxious when your child is sick can make it difficult to even know where to begin the process of getting care for them. Now that Bianca has been through a season of sickness with Auggie, her decision of where to start when he’s not feeling well is easy. “Our go-to is the Children’s Mercy Urgent Care. It’s convenient because you can sign in online and we’ve always had good experiences there.”
Bianca had some advice to offer families as this year’s respiratory virus season continues to ramp up. “Make sure you’re using vetted resources, like those from Children’s Mercy as a source of truth. That will really help you to stay informed instead of scared and overwhelmed,” she said. “Children’s Mercy is always supportive and won’t shame you for bringing your child in to get checked out. At the end of the day, you are the only one who can advocate for them.”