'ICU' - Nebraska Medicine

Показать описание

In 2008, Braxton Anderson was born with gastroschisis, a birth defect where the intestines grow outside the abdomen. On a normal gastroschisis case, the intestines go out, loop around and come back. Braxton's came out, but were split into two pieces -- this is called an atresia. Immediately after birth, Braxton was put in a sterile plastic bag up to his armpits, and rushed to the NICU at Nebraska Medicine.

Two hours after birth, Braxton was taken to the operating room for his very first abdominal surgery. During that surgery, doctors put Braxton's intestines in a silo, which had a ring that went under the skin and attached to a sterile bag. The intestines went into that sterile bag and the surgeons slowly eased the intestines inside his abdomen every day. The doctors had to place him on a ventilator and put him in a medically induced coma to limit movement and help his body relax so they could get the intestines in his abdominal cavity.

When Braxton reached seven days old, he was ready to go back for his second surgery. The surgeon pushed the rest of the intestines into Braxton's abdomen.

His parents (Cassie and TR) were finally able to hold him when he was nine days old. The NICU nurses wrapped Braxton and his tubing safely up in a warm blanket and helped transition him from the isolate into his mother's arms.

Due to several more surgeries and setbacks, Braxton and his mom stayed in the NICU for eight months. In July 2009, they were finally able to go home to Alda, Neb. and be reunited as a family.

In the last six years, Braxton has had 11 central line placements, 15 scopes, 13 major abdominal surgeries, plus additional procedures requiring anesthesia. He looks and acts like a normal, healthy 6-year-old boy.

To celebrate Braxton's achievements, his dad, TR, wrote a song about their family's journey called, "ICU."