After years of trying to start a family, Breanne and Kristopher Kessler were ecstatic to learn they were expecting twins. But when Breanne was only 30 weeks pregnant, something went terribly wrong. She was in unbearable, excruciating pain.
Within days, she was unconscious on an operating room table at Mission Hospital as her tiny babies were delivered via emergency c-section. Immediately, the trauma surgeons began what would be several hours of surgery to stop internal bleeding. The clinical teams from Mission Hospital and CHOC Mission worked furiously to save three lives.
Ready For Every Conceivable Emergency
Micah was born first—without a heartbeat. CHOC Mission physicians and staff performed chest compressions to resuscitate him. Mason followed quickly, also requiring the full expertise of the CHOC Mission neonatology team.
“It is uncommon to perform CPR on a fresh newborn unless something ominous has occurred just prior to delivery, as happened in this case,” said CHOC neonatologist Anthony Liu, M.D. “Our Level 3 NICU staff has rehearsed this scenario many times. We are constantly re-educating ourselves to be on top of every conceivable neonatal emergency.”
Kristopher credits the CHOC Mission team with making a very difficult and stressful situation manageable. “They were not just incredible nurses and medical professionals,” Kristopher said. “They were truly good people, they cared for our boys as if they were their own.”
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How to prevent and treat respiratory illnesses this season
Unfortunately, many kids get infected with respiratory illnesses in the fall and winter seasons. CHOC experts highly encourage all eligible members of households to receive their annual flu shots. Other preventative measures like good hygiene and staying home when sick can help protect families from illness. The following articles and guides provide more information.
Learn more about CHOC’s Neonatology Services
CHOC Hospital was named one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings and ranked in the neonatology specialty.
