There's No Place Like Home!

The Lighthouse at Oak Island, NC

Well, the Whitt's have returned from another year at the beach the week after Christmas. We, as a family, started the tradition in December 2003. It is a time for us as sisters and in-laws to come together and spend time with each other. Since Kristen, Kami, and I all 3 have husbands in the ministry, it is difficult to get together at any time at length other than Christmas. This year we went to Oak Island, NC. We stayed in a beautiful 5 bedroom 4 bath home shaped like a lighthouse. By far, my favorite since our tradition started.

Dosher Memorial Hospital

Southport, NC

This year had a more dramatic approach to the week. Mine and Jeremiah's son, Nehemiah, who is 3 months old, was the source of that drama. Christmas day, Nehemiah starting coughing. And since his big sister Madelynn was getting over a cold, nautrally I thought Nehemiah had caught what Madelynn had. The first night there, Nehemiah didn't sleep well and seemed uncomfortable. After waking up several times between 2 AM and 5 AM, I noticed he seemed to be working pretty hard to breath. So, around 6 AM Sunday morning, after much talk with my sister Kami and Momma, Jeremiah and I drove 25 minutes to the nearest hospital in Southport, NC to Dosher Memorial Hospital. There, he was given steriods and a breathing treatment. The ER doctor released him but wanted us to come back in 6 hours to see how he responded to the treatment. Jeremiah, Nehemiah and I all headed back up to Southport at 4 PM Sunday afternoon. Nehemiah had actually gotten worse. The ER doctor felt it was best for Nehemiah to be transported to New Hanover Medical Center in Wilmington, NC; about 40 minutes away.

New Hanover Medical Center - Betty H. Cameron Women's & Children's Hospital
Wilmington, NC

We waited a few more hours at Dosher until VitaLink showed up to transport our little bity, 11 pound, baby in this ginormous ambulance. Nehemiah was put on this regular sized stretcher, but with a special twist. This particular stretcher had car seats straps built in. Four grown men tending to an infant is a precious sight!!

VitaLink (New Hanover)

Jeremiah and I followed the ambulance to New Hanover in Wilmington. We parked and met the guys at the pediatric entrance. The sweetest thing I have EVER seen was about to happen. It sounds small but in my eyes it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. As the 4 guys were leading us to our room, Nehemiah grabs hold of the driver's, Scott, finger and doesn't let go until we arrive at our room. I wish I could thank those 4 men personally for their compassion to my son.

Dr. Patricia O'Brien

Once we arrived and settled into our room, Dr. Patricia O'Brien came in to check Nehemiah out and hear our story of all that had happened. After much conversation and evaluation of Nehemiah, he was diagnosed with Bronchiolitis. Bronchiolitis is an infection of the bronchioles, the small air passages in the lungs. It is common in young children and is the leading cause of serious lower respiratory illness in infants. It is usually caused by RSV, but in Nehemiah's case it was not. In infants, labored breathing exhausts them and they usually just stop breathing. Where as adults will continue to work hard at it no matter how exhausted they are.

Dr. Joseph Pino

Dr. Joseph Pino was Nehemiah's other doctor at New Hanover and after breathing treatments every 4 hours, serious, heavy duty, electronic, nose sucking (YUCK!), and IV fluids, Nehemiah was released to go home Tuesday morning.

After saying all that, there is nothing I can say to all the doctors and nurses at Dosher or New Hanover to show my gratitude for all they did to care for not only my son, but for my husband and I as well. They all will hold a special place in my heart. God is good ... all the time and He is the ultimate Healer!

Whewww, what an expensive vacation!!!

Posted by: Kelli