A Wichita mother returns to thank Via Christi NICU and maternity care team

Mayra Gutierrez and her son, Isaac, were all smiles returning to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Via Christi St. Joseph’s NewLife Center in Wichita, Kansas, where care teams provided life-saving care for both of them nearly a year ago. 

“He has the longest eyelashes,” noticed OB-GYN Jonathan Scrafford, MD, Ascension Medical Group Via Christi, who delivered Isaac by emergency cesarean section on April 6, 2024. Dr. Scrafford, who also delivered Mayra’s two older children, made a special stop at St. Joseph for the weekend visit. He offered a hug and helped Mayra capture photograph memories with a healthy and thriving Isaac.

Today, Issac is a picture of health. At 11-months-old, Isaac smiled, clapped and babbled for his visitors while wearing a custom shirt with “I’m an ECMO survivor 2024.” 

Seeing Issac today is in contrast to what he survived at birth. He had severe lung and heart complications and required a breathing tube, special umbilical cord tubes, heavy sedation and whole body cooling therapy to support him. Isaac had persistent pulmonary hypertension, which is when the blood vessels in a baby’s lungs do not fully open. He also had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition where thickened heart chamber walls make it harder for the heart to pump blood.

“In other words, he was really, really sick,” said Becky Hopper, APRN, one of the NICU’s five neonatal nurse practitioners, who coordinated the reunion.

An affiliation between Via Christi and Children’s Mercy Kansas City enabled Isaac to get the right level of critical care when he needed it most. The neonatologists who work in the NewLife Center — those who live locally and those who travel from Kansas City to support 24/7 coverage — are employed by Children’s Mercy and are part of the on-site NICU team. When a higher level of care is needed, having this established line of communication is essential for consultation in specialized pediatric expertise areas and for quick transfers.

“The leadership of Children's Mercy neonatologists is crucial for babies in the Via Christi NICU,” said Anna Sewell, APRN. “They bring specialized expertise and collaborate closely with our NICU team, ensuring babies receive the best treatments and interventions.”

Despite best efforts and treatments in Via Christi’s Level III NICU, Isaac’s oxygen levels continued to decrease. When he was two days old, his care team transferred him by helicopter to Children’s Mercy for specialized care in their Level IV Regional NICU. There, Isaac was placed on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a specialized lung and heart bypass machine that allows the body time to rest and heal until it can function properly. After 42 days there, including three days on ECMO, he recovered and was discharged to home with only a nasogastric tube for continued care.

“Seeing Mayra and Isaac today makes the long, hard days and nights totally worth it,” said neonatologist Danielle Reed, MD, with Children’s Mercy Kansas City. “Isaac was so sick; it is a true miracle he has done so well.”

Dr. Reed, who was the newborn’s doctor that day at Via Christi in 2024, recommended and arranged his helicopter transfer from Wichita. She was on shift for the reunion with Isaac and his mother.

Mayra said she appreciated the opportunity to add happy memories from this visit to offset her scary birth experience.

“I was devastated and crying,” said Mayra, recalling when she and her husband, Luis, received the news that Isaac needed an emergency transfer. “I feel great seeing everyone again. They’ve seen me at my worst and I didn’t have the chance to thank them personally.”

Nurse practitioner Sewell believes NICU reunions such as this are powerful reminders of the resilience and progress that can come after a challenging start.

“Seeing NICU grads and their families later, when the child is healthy, is deeply meaningful,” Sewell said. “It brings joy and relief to families, marking a hopeful milestone. For us healthcare providers, it’s rewarding to see the positive impact of our care and it strengthens the bonds we develop with the families.”

Seeing the Via Christi team once again, just weeks before Isaac would turn one year old, was extra special for Mayra.

“It’s so nice to be back on a good occasion with Isaac here personally, smiling, laughing, drinking a bottle, and all that’s left is the little ECMO scar on his neck that will heal up in time,” Mayra said.

To learn more about Via Christi’s NICU and maternity care, visit viachristibaby.com.