Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
AMERICAN FORK -- A couple got some unexpected news on Friday after their newborn daughter Sadie was diagnosed with a rare condition that doesn't present itself in an ultrasound.
"Very stressful to say the least. We didn't expect anything to happen like this when Sadie was born. It was very shocking when it happened," said Greg Brooks, Sadie's father.
An estimated 13 babies are born every year in Utah with tracheoesophageal fistula, a condition wherein the esophagus is not properly connected to the stomach.
"In utero, the esophagus and the trachea and the breathing tube are one tube," said Primary Children's Medical Center Nurse Practitioner Caralee Floisand. "At about 20 to 25 days of life, those tubes separate and sometimes they don't separate completely."
If the two do not separate successfully, fluids from the baby's stomach can enter the lungs causing the baby to aspirate. That is what happened to Sadie when she was born on Friday afternoon.
"She actually tried to start breast feeding and she started turning blue, the baby did," said Brooks.
Sadie was quickly plucked from her mother, Michelle's, arms and rushed to Primary Children's Medical Center from American Fork hospital. Sadie needed surgery or she could die.
"Both my wife and I were in shock. We had nothing better to do than to break down and cry. We didn't know what was going to happen," said Brooks.
Sadie underwent a four hour surgery on Saturday, not quite 24 hours into her new life. Dr. Eric Scaife performed the surgery, wherein her esophagus was successfully attached to her stomach.
"About 1 in 4,000 babies will have traceoesophageal fistula," said Floisand, and with good care those babies tend to have an excellent chance at a normal life.
Yet for a parent, the experience can be overwhelming.
"Until it happens to you, you don't realize how shocking it is and what a life changing event it can turn into," said Brooks.
That's why Melissa Perry, one of Sadie's round the clock nurses, also spends her time tending the baby's parents as well.
"I think it's especially important for parents to understand what's going on with their babies," said Perry, a registered nurse in Primary Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Perry hopes parents leave the hospital feeling as if their child received excellent care. She hopes Sadie never remembers any of it.
"This is one of the problems that we see and it's very gratifying because we can fix it. We know these babies will go home and do really, really well," said Floisand.
