On Sept. 24, 2010, baby Kasey entered the world much earlier than her parents originally anticipated.
Delivered at 26 weeks, she weighed only one pound and five ounces.
Kasey was incubated for a couple of weeks during which her anxious parents were not allowed to hold her.
Her eyes were fused shut for about a week.
The next 10 months of her life were taxing and cumbersome on Kasey and her parents, Jack, 35, and Mary, 32, Davis of Tabernacle, who are soon to celebrate the one-year anniversary of bringing their baby home from the hospital.
“She was in the Virtua Voorhees NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care) for four months before being transferred to CHOP (The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) for six more months,” said Mary. “During this time, she was on the ventilator, high oxygen levels, had eye surgery for ROP (retinopathy of prematurity), had 11 blood transfusions and much more.”
Each gram gained was cause for celebration.
All the while, Kasey’s parents were constantly driving back and forth from the hospital.
“You just don’t want to leave the hospital,” explained Mary.
According to Jack, the pair would spend 10 to 12 hours a day beside their daughter, sometimes arriving in the afternoon or early evening and staying overnight to keep an eye on her.
There were no sleep rooms for parents at Virtua, but there were some available at CHOP.
“My husband stayed over a lot of nights,” said Mary.
At six months, Kasey had surgery to place a tracheotomy in her throat to help her breathe easier and a surgery to insert a G-tube for nourishment.
Both are still helping her.
Twice a day for one hour each, Mary and Jack take Kasey off of the ventilator.
“She’s starting to wean off the ventilator,” said Mary.
The pair phones Kasey’s pulmonologist weekly to give an update on her progress.
Kasey loves being off the ventilator, said Mary. She “spins around in circles” and wanders around the house.
“Compared to where she started, it’s amazing,” she said. “Actually, when we were able to bring her home, we alerted the local EMT that a trach/vent baby was coming home, but luckily have not had to use them.”
While she is improving, she’s not out of the woods yet, said Jack.
“We’re making such great strides since she’s been home,” he said. “It feels good.”
July 21 will be a celebration in the Davis household marking one year since Kasey was able to see her new home for the first time.
When she arrived in Tabernacle, she was 10 months old and 13 pounds — stable enough to grow at home.
“We have only recently in the last few weeks been able to start taking her out of the house for more than doctors appointments, as flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) seasons have ended and there is less risk of her getting sick, which can be very serious for her,” said Mary.
At first, little Kasey was not a fan of the great outdoors.
Now, she’s beginning to put her feet in the water — walking up to people in stores to play peek-a-boo and going down the slide at Pricketts Mill Park in Tabernacle.
“We thought (of) sharing her story with our community as she will be out and about more will allow others to have an understanding and awareness when they see her,” said Mary. “We love to show her off and talk about her.”
Kasey has chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. There is a hole in her heart that will be repaired in a couple of months to a year.
Kasey is susceptible to easily getting sick, Mary explained.
“We’re still going to have worries every winter, when it’s flu season, when it’s RSV season,” she said.
Once flu season comes around again, she and Jack will need to screen everyone who comes near their little girl.
When her tracheotomy tube can be fully removed, she will be able to speak. Until that point, she knows sign language and sometimes whispers words such as “up” or “daddy.”
“She loves to learn,” said Mary. “She’s so proud of herself.”
It is hard to see the surgeries and pain Kasey endured past her bright smile, she said.
“Despite it all, she’s such a happy girl,” said Mary. “Every step of the way just made us appreciate all of the little stuff.”
