Wonder Baby Jaxson and the donor-powered Deaconess NICU
“Wonder Baby” Jaxson earned his unofficial nickname at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital’s donor-supported neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Parents Robert and Brianna Imthurn made the trip from Post Falls, Idaho, to the Spokane hospital, as Jaxson was born early at 39 weeks.
“He was a stubborn one — he was sunny side up,” Brianna says with a laugh, recalling her 26-hour labor. “And he did not want to flip.”
Once Jaxson got right-side up, he came into the world with a collapsing lung. He was immediately placed on a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and taken down the hall to the NICU, where staff had been preparing for his arrival.
“If we would have gone to a smaller hospital or a different location and they didn’t have a NICU, we would’ve [had] to get in an ambulance, or [Jaxson] would have [had] to be life-flighted,” Robert says, thankful for the close-to-home resource. “That’s just an added stress. With the NICU being right across the hall, it was easy for [Brianna] to come straight from labor and delivery and actually get to see him. It relieved a lot of stress for me when I was able to just stand there with him.”
In the hands of calm and composed doctors, nurses and other NICU team members, Jaxson had X-rays taken and remained on the CPAP machine. A physician also went to Brianna’s room and explained the plan of placing a chest tube to relieve the air pocket.
Three hours later, the Imthurns visited baby Jaxson, who was no longer on the CPAP and was miraculously breathing on his own. He didn’t even need a chest tube.
“Wonder Baby” Jaxson at Deaconess Hospital’s donor-powered neonatal intensive care unit.
“The [nurses] said he was doing well,” Robert says. “They were shocked with his recovery [and] about what was happening.
“We kept going back,” Robert continues. “Every time he had a diaper change or anything like that, we would go in. The nursing staff was unbelievable with how helpful and how in-depth they were with explaining everything to us. It was incredible to have the staff that well-versed to where it wasn’t even making us all that nervous. I’m very happy with the entire four days in the NICU.”
Giving back to the Deaconess NICU, embodiment of kindness
Deaconess Hospital’s Level III NICU is powered by community generosity, where donors help ensure all babies born prematurely or with serious medical conditions — like Jaxson — have access to compassionate care, regardless of their parents’ financial situation. For Robert and Brianna, the choice to support the NICU with a gift through MultiCare Inland Northwest Foundation was an easy one, thanks to Jaxson’s kind-hearted team.
“No matter what portion of the hospital [we were in], it was overwhelming with how much everybody was showing kindness,” Robert shares. “When you’re in a hospital, you don’t expect it to be like that because everybody’s running around busy. [It was a] whole change of pace, [with everyone] calm, collected, easygoing.”
As a new mother, Brianna also felt cared for and set up for success.
With a great start at the Deaconess NICU, Jaxson is thriving.
“They made sure we had everything, got everything set up for us and helped us with [Jaxson],” she adds. “He had some issues with breastfeeding, so they made sure to get the lactation consultant in there multiple times.”
Because of donors before her, Brianna was able to dress Jaxson in a gifted swaddle that accommodated his IV and other wires. Robert noticed that having the proper equipment — provided by Foundation supporters — saved the NICU team from scrambling to patch things together.
Today, Jaxson continues to awe and inspire, growing like a weed and exceeding his weight gain goal. He’s also hitting all his milestones and is very active, keeping his parents busy. And with Robert and Brianna’s hearts for other NICU families, babies like him will have the foundation for a healthy life.
You can help champion the most advanced neonatal care at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital by donating to MultiCare Inland Northwest Foundation.
