Take me to Timpanogos Regional Hospital: I feel like family there
Though it had been about two decades since Lanna and Danny Ray had their first two children, they felt a strong desire – and an urgency – to add one more to the family.
“Conceiving and carrying children has always been difficult for us. I had tried to protect my heart, saying I was fine with two kids, but we got to a point where we realized if we ever wanted more, we needed to do it then,” Lanna said.
Since Lanna and Danny had benefited from medical intervention with their first two children, they knew the journey ahead of them. Thankfully, after just a couple rounds of in vitro fertilization, they became ecstatically (and cautiously) pregnant.
Although her pregnancy was considered high-risk and specialists monitored her closely, the pregnancy progressed smoothly. When it came time to schedule a planned caesarian section, Lanna hoped the baby could be born on her father-in-law’s birthday. He had passed away from leukemia three years ago, and Lanna wanted to honor him. Unfortunately, the doctor felt that date was a little too soon in the gestation process, so Lanna and Danny settled on a second choice. But as the appointed birthday grew near, a strong sickness spread throughout the family.
“Everyone in my house got a head cold. I was in the same boat, but after a couple days I also started throwing up. I felt miserable. I was violently throwing up in the middle of the night, and for a while I couldn’t feel the baby anymore, no matter what I tried,” Lanna said. “I had a huge fear of losing the baby. I was terrified.”
Scared for her baby’s life, Danny drove Lanna to Timpanogos Regional Hospital. They pulled into the Emergency Room, where nurses sprang into action.
“I just love those nurses. They took me to Labor and Delivery while I proceeded to throw up all over the place. After taking my vitals, they admitted me to the hospital and determined that I had influenza A,” Lanna said. “I don’t remember a lot about that time because I was extremely sick.”
During the unexpected, Timpanogos teams provide exceptional care
Doctors closely monitored Lanna and her baby and noted that Lanna’s kidneys began shutting down and her blood pressure continued rising. Together, the Maternal Fetal Medicine and Labor and Delivery physicians decided the best plan of action to keep baby and mom safe.
“After their conversations, a doctor came in and said we were delivering that very day. It happened to be the original birthdate we wanted – the date of my late father-in-law’s birthday. We decided grandpa pushed our baby out of heaven,” Lanna said.
The Timpanogos Labor and Delivery team efficiently and compassionately attended to Lanna, and in a short time, Lanna and Danny welcomed a handsome, healthy baby boy into the world. Both mom and baby did wonderfully well, and little August arrived with a full head of hair, a strong body, and a room full of admirers.
“The nurses were amazing. I knew August was safe and that the nurses loved him and cared for him as if he was their own child … I also felt like they cared about me as if I was the most important person there. They talked with me like I was their best friend. It was the most phenomenal thing! I highly recommend them,” Lanna said.
During her recovery at Timpanogos, Lanna gratefully noted that the nurses carefully timed their care, respectfully coordinating so not to interfere with feeding or sleeping time. She also admired how the facility remained immaculately clean.
“I’ve had three kids in three different hospitals, and this was by far the best experience,” Lanna said. “I say, ‘Take me to Timp’ because I felt like family there – and that’s who you want when you’re sick. You want people around who love you like family. You want people who will help you feel safe and secure. I would choose them over and over again.”