The Miracle of Latrell

 My son Latrell Mariano is my miracle granted to me by Children’s Miracle Network Hospital located in Danville, PA. If we had not received the wonderful care from this hospital we both would not be alive today.

    My pregnancy case has always confused many people, and that was because everything was completely normal up until week 26. I never experienced any complications, no increased blood pressure, and all bloodwork appeared fine, so my local doctors never suspected anything was wrong. At 26 weeks pregnant I began having chest pains, but just contributed them to indigestion. After a couple of hours they got worse and it began to be difficult to breathe. Following orders of my doctors I went to my local hospital emergency room.

    Once arriving at the emergency room I was immediately checked in and given blood work. It was no more than 10 minutes later three doctors came into my room and told me my liver was failing and that my blood platelets were dropping to dangerous levels. I had no idea what that meant for me or what it meant for my son, but I knew it was way too early to be having my son. The doctors told me that I had to be life flighted to the Children’s Miracle Network hospital in Danville, PA because they were the only hospital that could possibly save my son. I still at this time did not quite understand what was going on and that I would be having my son that day.

    April 27, 2011 is the day that changed my life forever. At 5:30 AM I landed in Danville and was immediately prepped for an emergency C-section. Even though I did not want to have a C-section out of fear my son would not survive, the doctors informed me that the only way to save my life was to terminate the pregnancy. Due to how premature my son would be, and how his lungs had not developed yet the doctor gave my son a 10% chance of surviving. There was no time to think about the decision because if my blood platelets dropped any lower I would bleed out during the C-section. I had to give my 100% complete trust to the doctors, and that was the best decision I ever made in my life because it saved my son. Even though they knew the chances were low of him surviving they were not going to give up.

     My son was born 1 lb. 8 oz. and he was 11 inches long. His lungs were not developed yet and his heart was severely underdeveloped still. Well my son faced many challenges in the 3 1/2 months he spent in the NICU he never once gave up and neither did the doctors. At 3 1/2 months he was sent home weighing 4 pounds. Yes, he faced many health issues over the years, but we continue to take that hour and a half drive just so he can see the same doctors that saved his life. To this day they still remember every bit of his case, and provide him with the best care I have ever seen. 

     I myself had many health challenges after delivering and the hospital wanted to transfer me to ICU, but the doctor seeing me did not want that to happen in case something happened to my son they wanted me close by. Two of my doctors volunteered to take shifts and stayed in my room and kept me under supervision 24 hours a day for three days just so I could still be close to my son. They would wheel me into the NICU and let me see how my son was doing. 

      I have never seen doctors or nurses that have been so dedicated to their patients and given such amazing care. I owe the Children’s Miracle Network everything because they gave me my life and they gave me my sons life. By working with the amazing doctors and nurses my son is now almost six years old and completely off oxygen, walking, talking on his own, and doing everything that no one ever thought he could. He truly is a walking miracle, and blows doctor’s minds everyday. One of his nurses even sent me a card thanking me for allowing her to be a part of it. It was me who wanted to thank all of them for everything they gave me that day, and now working for a company that is donating constantly to their foundation makes me so proud to know that I could be helping another family like mine. Children’s miracle network showed me that miracles do really come true. 

Sincerely,

Nadine Calarco

Pennsylvania Drug Card