Britten and Jay Shea were over the moon when they learned they were pregnant with their first child. It also was important to them to choose a Baptist doctor to have easy access to Wolfson Children’s Hospital. That foresight is something Britten and Jay are thankful for to this day.
The final trimester of Britten's pregnancy found her dealing with high blood pressure. Weekly blood pressure checks revealed her amniotic fluid levels were dropping rapidly. Unable to bring the fluid back to a safe level, doctors knew that labor should be induced immediately. On Nov. 10, 2020, Crew was born four weeks early.
Shortly after birth, the attentive team in the newborn nursery heard Crew making unusual noises and discovered that the baby was born with an underdeveloped lung that had filled with fluid. Unable to breathe on his own, Crew was transferred to Wolfson's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The next 10 days were a waiting game for everyone. Thankfully, Crew was able to fight his way back to normal lung capacity. As many other NICU parents will tell you, the babies have the best medical care while the parents also receive attention.
“The nurses were incredibly helpful,” Britten recalls of those long days and nights during COVID's lonely isolation.
The skills and newborn care the nurses imparted left Britten and Jay feeling more prepared than they ever imagined as first-time parents. They also feel huge gratitude for Wolfson Children's Hospital as they watch their 2-year-old charm all with his daily antics.
