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Born too early and too small at just around 3 lbs., precious five-month-old twins, Caleb and Caylen Towns, help tell the story of our more than 2,400 babies who were born with a low birth-weight across the NE Florida region during 2007-2009. As with all babies brought to Wolfson, the children’s hospital has already been a major part of their lives.
Along with Wolfson, the NE Florida Healthy Start Coalition has helped their mother, Rose, provide the best start in life for her tiny babies. Rose was identified as a Healthy Start (HS) mom in her 2nd trimester when she was taught important prenatal care for herself and the babies. Rose learned how to eat healthful foods and how to provide optimum, lifetime health for herself and the babies. She even learned the importance of reading to her babies before they were born. Her HS caseworker will be with Rose’s family until the twins are two. In addition, Rose has received much support - bus tokens, baby clothes, and even playpen baby beds that the boys can use until they are six months old. With Safe Sleep for Babies as a major Healthy Start initiative, Rose is hoping for full-sized cribs once the boys outgrow their starter beds.
The babies’ lives also tell about the collaborative effort that exists for children’s healthcare in our region. In late July, just a few days after the boys went home from a local NICU with their mom and four-year-old sister, Ma’klia, the fragile babies were crying unceasingly and couldn’t keep their formula down. Off to Wolfson Children’s Hospital Children’s Emergency Center went Rose. The babies were diagnosed with GERD, or infant acid reflux, a painful, distressing, but not uncommon condition of premature babies. Rose says that because the twins were premature, she was taken immediately into the ER when she needed help with the babies. “Wolfson takes you right in. There’s no wait. We were treated with such wonderful care.”
Two weeks later, the babies were cared for by a Nemours’ doctor for a continuing thyroid condition and Caylen’s broken collarbone, which hadn’t healed since birth. Then in November, Rose took the babies back to Wolfson’s ER. With the babies not even nine lbs. and with premature babies being among the most at-risk for flu, Rose was anxious.
Both Caleb and Caylen were diagnosed with bronchitis, with Caleb the sicker of the two.
Mom Rose says it best; “Wolfson is the best place for kids. When you are a mom all by yourself, Wolfson is here. I feel so happy because the children’s hospital can help me and help my babies.”
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