Stories & Outcomes

Discharge days are bittersweet at Blythedale Children's Hospital. While we miss the children we become so close to over the course of their treatment, our hearts soar when they are able to return to their families and their communities. We are proud to share some of their stories.

Going Home

Bringing your child home is no small feat when they're medically fragile, but with Blythedale's Parent and Family Education Program it's possible.

Bringing your child home is no small feat when they're medically fragile. No family ever thinks they will be in the position of caring for a child with complex medical needs, but Blythedale’s innovative Parent and Family Education Program divides what initially seems like an overwhelming learning...

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Complex Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Micro Preemie
  • Preemie
  • Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP)
  • Chronic Lung Disease

Cody's Christmas

Cody made his way home just in time for the holidays and for his family's first Christmas as a family of five.

Cody and his sisters, Mackenzie and Abigail, were born prematurely at 27 weeks at Westchester Medical Center. Cody was in distress as a result of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and was born with chronic lung disease typical of premature birth and required CPAP ventilation. He weighed a mere...

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Specialized Feeding
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)
  • Preemie
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

The Blythedale Four

Proving Preemie Power Prevails

Despite their differences, four former preemies share a remarkable common bond at Blythedale Children's Hospital. Meet "The Blythedale Four" and learn about the threads that tie their lives together at New York's only post acute neonatal care rehabilitation center.

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
  • Chronic Lung Disease
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Preemie

Joyful Jackson

Ex-Preemie Prevails with Respiratory Resilience, Brotherly Bond & Family of Fighters

Sixteen-month-old Jackson is full of joy and it shows. He loves to laugh, smile and play with his twin brother, Connor. As rare dichorionic/diamniotic identical twins, the pregnancy was complicated and the twins were born extremely premature at just 25-weeks gestation. “My wife was hospitalized for...

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Specialized Feeding
  • Complex Chronic Conditions
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Chronic Lung Disease
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Feeding Disorders
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Preemie

Tara's Triumph

Teen's Fierce Determination for Independence Drives Assistive Technology Training

The will to fight was instilled in Tara ever since day one. Born a premature triplet at 26-weeks and weighing just under two-pounds, she required resuscitation in the delivery room and was put on a life-sustaining ventilator for weeks while undergoing numerous surgeries and medical procedures to...

Tags:

  • Assistive Technology
  • Complex Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
  • Neuromuscular Disorders
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Cerebral Palsy (CP)
  • Spastic Quadriplegia

Hope for Hiroshy

Former Preemie with Jejunal Atresia Grows Into Promising Pupil

From the start of his life, Hiroshy and hospitals have gone hand in hand. Born premature at 33-weeks’ gestation in October 2011, Hiroshy was diagnosed with jejunal atresia (an incomplete formation of part of the small intestine), and spent 90 days in the NICU. The newborn underwent numerous...

Tags:

  • Complex Chronic Conditions
  • Specialized Feeding
  • Pre/Post Organ & Stem Cell Transplant
  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Assistive Technology
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Short Gut Syndrome
  • Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

A Journey of Hope

"No family ever expects to be in this situation. You just don't think it can happen to you." Did you know 45% of our patients are under the age of one? Follow the extraordinary journeys of a few of Blythedale's smallest and most fragile infants, as their families prepare to bring them home... for...

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Specialized Feeding
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Micro Preemie
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Acquired Brain Injury

Raelynn's Road to Recovery

Bubble CPAP Offers Non-Invasive Ventilation Treatment for Preemie

Four-month-old Raelynn – born at just 24-weeks gestation - is heading home for the first time. It’s been a complicated journey for first-time mom, Raveen, but one that was made easier thanks to the support she and Raelynn received at Blythedale Children’s Hospital. During her 117-day NICU stay...

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
  • Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Preemie

Blythedale Helps Zoey, and her Mom, Breathe a Little Easier

Zoey has a smile that lights up a room. The exuberant thirteen-month old was born via emergency caesarean section after she and her mother, Melanie, were involved in a car accident. Delivered at just 25-weeks gestation, Zoey - considered a "micro-preemie" - weighed a mere 1 lb., 7 oz. birth. In...

Tags:

  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Micro Preemie
  • Extreme Prematurity
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

Arriyana Doesn't Let Pulmonary Hypertension Keep Her Down

16-month-old Ariyana was born at a mere 25-weeks gestation, weighing only 15 ounces. Her immediate medical needs were highly complex, given her extreme prematurity. She had several serious complications, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity. She was also diagnosed with...

Tags:

  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Post Acute Neonatal Care
  • Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP)
  • Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)
  • Pulmonary Insufficiency
  • Extreme Prematurity