January Miracle Minute… Meet Ada!

January 2020 – Miracle Minute… Meet Ada!

It was just like any other night. We were making pizzas and going to watch a movie at home. We started our normal routine of getting Ada ready for bed. She was in the bath and in a split second everything changed. Ada reached for the hot water faucet handle and before I could even react, she turned it. Scalding hot water splashed down the right side of her body. I immediately pulled her out of the bath. In the back of my mind, I kept trying to rationalize and stay calm. My husband asked me if we needed to go to the hospital. I’m a nurse so when I saw the skin on her leg begin to peel, I knew we needed help.

We first went to our local emergency room at OSF St. Luke in Kewanee. Within an hour, they examined her and determined she had second degree burns on her leg. They told us we were being transferred to OSF Children’s Hospital to get the specialized pediatric care she needed. When we got here, they already had her room ready.

As a nurse, I knew Ada’s burn was serious. I knew she was at risk for infection and dehydration. What I didn’t know was how different it is to be the person on the other side of the bed. I was panicked, scared, tired and worried about everything. We’ve never had to use OSF Children’s Hospital before. When we arrived and checked-in for the night, I was struggling to find the balance between being a nurse and being Ada’s mom at the same time. But the staff at OSF Children’s allowed me to take a breath and just be a mom. This was something I didn’t even know I needed, but they did. The specialized care they gave her was amazing.

We are so thankful to have a place in our community that provides specialized care for kids. Even when the staff was stressed with the pressures of handling a full house of sick kids and overnight emergencies, they were always polite and reassuring. No matter who you are or what brought you here, you’re going to get great care from people who truly care about you and your family.

Ada’s accident was an emergency that none of us planned for. But yet, the staff here knew exactly how to handle it and how to comfort us. That’s something I’ll never forget. Julie (mom)

You never know if or when you may need the expert team of care givers at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital. Thank You for your generosity and helping that team be ready 24/7 to help a family in need.