When one local toddler fell ill, her parents trusted Jamestown Regional Medical Center for her care.
Andrea Fayville’s two-year-old, Lou, experienced a severe stomach bug last month. Usually, a lively toddler who splashes in mud puddles, Lou acted sleepy and would not eat or drink.
Andrea and her husband, Nick, drove from their home near Cleveland, N.D., to the Emergency Department at Jamestown Regional Medical Center.
JRMC Emergency Department Physician Dr. Ben Muscha ordered tests to check Lou’s abdomen and large intestine. Finding nothing, the family returned home to rest and let the stomach bug pass. Two hours later, Lou’s condition worsened. She was lethargic and vomiting.
“It’s scary to see your child like that. We needed to figure this out,” Andrea said.
The family traveled back to JRMC where Emergency Department Registered Nurses Chris Lunde and Sarah Haas started IV fluids to hydrate Lou. Dr. Glenn Wiens admitted the child to the JRMC Patient Care Unit, where the family stayed overnight.
“They all treated Lou as their own,” Andrea said. “They took the extra time and care for her which was nice.” To comfort Lou, the Emergency Department gave her playdoh, books and a stuffed hedgehog.
Those toys are from Kala’s Korner, a JRMC Foundation fund dedicated to offering comfort items to children and their siblings or parents while at JRMC.
“When people come to JRMC for care, they can be anxious and scared,” said Lisa Jackson, JRMC Foundation Director. “When your child is sick, you don’t always have time to prepare or know how long you’ll have to stay. Comfort items from Kala’s Korner give little patients a reason to smile.”
An anonymous donor created Kala’s Korner in 2013, after the sudden death of Kala Bercier. Kala Bercier was involved in the community – raising her children and mentoring others. Kala’s mother, Peggy Schroeder, and her daughter Tanya, Kala’s younger sister, both work at JRMC. Peggy is the unit clerk in the surgery center. Tanya is a radiology technologist.
“We are so fortunate for the amazing care of the JRMC team. It’s a relief to any parent when caregivers treat your baby like she is their own,” Andrea said.
Today, Lou is back to her happy self. Her dad jokes that it took five days for Lou to get her sassiness back.
“If I could, I’d give every single one of the nurses that took care of us that weekend a huge hug! It takes a big heart and big skills to be a nurse,” Andrea said.
To learn more about the JRMC Emergency Department or establishing a fund to help patients, call (701) 952-1050.
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