Liam & Robert

Meridian KidViews - Summer 2010

Two Young Lives on the Line

In an Emergency, Parents Can Count on Meridian for Seamless Care

Friends Robert Lake and Liam Barnett have a lot in common. They are both 4 years old, go to the same preschool, and love to play sports. And, earlier this year, they both wound up in Riverview Medical Center's Pediatric Care Center.

First Stop: Riverview for Emergency Care
One afternoon in January, Robert was playing basketball on Wii Sports Resort™ when he hit the left side of his belly on the corner of a coffee table. He curled up in a ball on the floor, and the color drained from his face.

Robert's mom, Janice, rushed him to Riverview Medical Center. The attending physician performed a CT scan. "The CT scan revealed that Robert had ruptured his spleen — a potentially life-threatening injury," says Moh'd Qumei, M.D., of Riverview Medical Center.

The emergency department (ED) can handle more than injuries — it's important for illnesses, too. In March, Liam woke up in the middle of the night with stomach pain so severe that he could barely move. His parents, Tara and Kevin, drove Liam to Riverview's ED. A CT scan showed that Liam had a ruptured appendix. Removing it as quickly as possible was critical. 

Next Stop: Jersey Shore for Specialty Care
"Children are not small adults," says Saad Saad, M.D., surgeon-in-chief and co-medical director at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. "They have a different response to disease and trauma than adults do, so they require unique care."

When a physician decides a child needs the specialty pediatric care available at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital, he or she calls a pediatric resident there. The resident takes down all the case information so that the hospital is ready for the arrival, and then sends an ambulance to pick up the child.

"This emergency transport service is a lifeline between the hospitals," says Bruce Grossman, M.D., a pediatric intensivist and director of pediatric transport services at the Children's Hospital. "We get them here quickly and safely."

At the Children's Hospital, Robert was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where doctors, including his trauma surgeon, Felix Garcia, M.D., closely monitored him for signs of internal bleeding. Luckily there were none, and he did not need surgery to remove his spleen, as originally expected. Five days later, Robert went home.

Only a few hours after Liam arrived at the Children's Hospital, Dr. Saad performed an appendectomy to remove his appendix. Liam stayed in the hospital for eight days.

"I didn't like when the nurses drew my blood, but I loved the dog, PJ, that came to visit me and the other kids in the hospital," Liam says. (PJ is part of the hospital's pet therapy program where specially trained dogs visit children's bedsides.)

Final Stop: Home
Today, Robert and Liam have another thing in common. They are healthy kids thanks to the seamless transport system, which allowed them to receive the urgent pediatric care they needed.

"The care Robert received was outstanding," Janice says. "It's the best place for a child to receive care." Tara agrees. "It's a comfort to know we have a children's hospital close by to treat our kids if the need ever arises again."

Meet the Doctors