Meet Ellie.

Ellie, now one year old, was born full-term, however after a difficult labor at home, her newborn vital signs were very concerning. She was immediately rushed to a local hospital and transferred to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital where she was treated for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The condition, which is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, affects the central nervous system and can cause developmental delays. Among Denise’s biggest concerns was that Ellie would rely on a wheelchair as she got older. 

Ellie has proven incredibly resilient. She spent her first long months in the hospital and suffered three seizures during that time. Initially, she was also dependent on a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube for nutrition, and to be discharged she needed to meet her feeding goals. To her mom and dad’s delight, she finally did, and they could at last bring their precious daughter home. 

At hospital discharge, Denise was contacted by a nurse from Coastal Kids Home Care to discuss Ellie’s plan of care. Since that time, Ellie’s clinical team has become like an extended family. Once-weekly nursing appointments combined with bi-weekly physical and occupational therapy offered Denise a lifeline in managing her daughter’s health and development. 

Denise is now hopeful that her daughter will one day walk. Patricia Krall, PT, PCS, C/NDT, Coastal Kids Home Care pediatric physical therapist, specializes in the treatment of kids like Ellie who have neuromotor disorders. Through her knowledge and compassionate approach, Trish put Denise’s mind at ease. Although her path will not be easy, Ellie is already making great progress. 

At each appointment, Denise works closely with Ellie’s therapists to set new goals and discuss the next steps. It is truly a team effort, with Ellie in the lead. According to Denise, “So far she has met every single goal, she has done incredible work.” Ellie’s latest goal is to learn to crawl within the next few months. Up next? Only Ellie knows, but we are all excited to see. 

“The love and care, it feels like Coastal Kids is a part of my family versus here comes the nurses.” - Ellie’s Mom