Severe Storms Can’t Dampen the Joy Brought by Silver Cross NICU Baby, ‘Sadie Sunshine’  

After spending 117 days in the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, baby Sadie “Sunshine” Spratt came home with her parents, Brittany and Dylan, on July 15, a triumphant celebration of their first wedding anniversary.

Ironically, the Spratts and their little “ray of sunshine” were greeted by powerful storms that rocked the area during her homecoming, causing massive power outages and forcing the family to bring Sadie and her special equipment to Dylan’s parents’ home. But these storms, the Spratts say, did little to dampen their joy at finally bringing their baby girl home following her premature birth in March of this year.

All Good Until …

Brittany said she and Dylan were thrilled to learn last year she was pregnant with their first child. All was progressing well, even though her 20-week check-up. But shortly after that, she felt like something was off.

“The baby wasn’t moving as much,” said Brittany, an occupational therapist at a Chicago hospital. “I just had a feeling something was wrong.”

The concern temporarily halted moving into a new job and a new home in Oak Forest. They’d also been looking for a new obstetrician who was in their new insurance plan. To their relief, Silver Cross offered the closest Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to their new home.

Dylan, an exercise physiologist, encouraged Brittany to get to the hospital, and that’s exactly what they did.

“We got to Silver Cross about 10 a.m. March 21,” she said. “Right away, we had staff taking measurements, tests. It was just a flurry. They said the baby was in distress, and they would have to take the baby that day. I was only 27 weeks along, but we were told the baby would have a better chance outside of me than inside. I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God! Oh, my God! This is really serious! I could lose my baby!’”

Monitoring the situation closely was Dr. Kathleen Slugocki, an obstetrician on staff at Silver Cross.

“A little while later, the doctor said they couldn’t wait any longer. I was rushed into delivery where at least 20 people were working feverishly. The baby’s heart rate had dropped to 60 beats per minute. Then, they put me under.”

When she awoke, Dylan was there.

“He said, ‘I have a wife and a baby.’ I was so happy to hear. And a little girl!”

Brittany was doing fine, physically, but the baby, whom they would name Sadie, was critical. At 1.7 pounds, she was one of the smallest “27-weekers” NICU nurse Amy Smith said she ever had seen in her 10 years working with preemies.

Smith was the first NICU nurse to work with the Spratts, and during the next 117 days, she and fellow NICU nurse Angie Arthur adopted all three.

“We see a lot of babies and a lot of nervous parents, but sometimes, something just clicks. Brittany and Dylan were so wonderful, the way they brought joy and laughter with them.”

Not Out of the Woods

The first few hours are critical for NICU babies, said Dr. Corryn Greenwood, Medical Director of the Silver Cross NICU.

The incubators are set up to provide warmth, as well as humidity, she said, as a preemie baby’s skin is so thin, they can dehydrate quickly. At that age, the lungs aren’t fully formed either, so intubation is necessary for survival.

For the first few days, an IV tube is inserted into the baby to provide nourishment they would otherwise be getting from mom’s body. That’s supplemented with mom’s breast milk.

Arthur said the Spratts were devoted to baby Sadie, traveling between their old apartment in Chicago and their new home in Oak Forest following Brittany’s discharge after five days. She also had to pump breast milk for Sadie every three hours.

“They were so in for everything,” Arthur said. “They were a big part of all the plans, and I think that makes a big difference down the road, too.”

Brittany didn’t get to hold Sadie until the third day after she was born.  “After that I held her for weeks while intubated and with IVs and PICC lines, which was wild. I felt like I was feeling whole again,” she said.

“A lot of people don’t know what we do in the NICU,” Smith said. “They think we hold babies all day. That’s definitely not the case. It can be a very scary time. There are a lot of unknowns.”

Dr. Greenwood seconded that, often staying wary even as the babies are discharged. All were thrilled to see Sadie fighting hard, transitioning from intubation ultimately to a tiny mask offering oxygen.

“It was a marathon; not a sprint,” Brittany said. “And the road was up and down.”

Sadie’s progress was so good, doctors and staff started talking about a discharge date. When they mentioned July 15, their first anniversary, the Spratts couldn’t have been happier.

The staff trained them on all the equipment Sadie would need when she came home, including what to do when alarms sounded.

Change in Plans

Initially, the weather was beautiful when they brought Sadie home the morning of July 15, nearly four months after her birth.

But later that night, the skies got dark, and the storms rolled in. They headed for an interior bathroom away from windows and hunkered down. The lights flickered, and then went out.

Once the storm passed, they headed to Dylan’s parents’ house 15 minutes away and set up Sadie’s equipment there.

“We were there for a couple days until our power came back on. Gramma and Grampa were over the moon.”

Happy Reunion

Smith said they don’t always get a chance to learn how their former charges are doing as they grow and prosper. But the first NICU Reunion at Silver Cross on Aug. 4 allowed them to visit with the Spratts, including Sadie, who’s was 8 ½ pounds at the time.

She and Arthur had given Sadie a sunshine-themed blanket when she was discharged and were able to give Brittany a sunshine necklace with a locket that has Sadie’s name inside.

“When we heard they were designing the nursery with the sunshine theme, from then on, we called her ‘Sadie Sunshine,’” Smith said.

“Our little ray of light,” Arthur added.

“She is such a doll,” said Dr. Greenwood, who also got the chance to revisit with Sadie at the reunion. “And so are her parents.”

Brittany said she and Dylan are forever grateful for the excellent care both mom and baby received – and for the joy of finally bringing their daughter home.

“It was the best first anniversary present ever!”

September is NICU Awareness Month. To learn more about the Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana NICU at Silver Cross – Will County’s first and only NICU – visit silvercross.org.