(My Daughter)
~Trevor born July 20, 1995~
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I woke and went out to the living room to see if school would be cancelled; because it had been snowing the night before. To my surprise, I woke up to two of my children in bed with me; the third one, my youngest missing.
My husband Randy had left at 10:00 pm. the night before, to take his load to New Jersey. He is a truck driver.
When I realized Trevor was not in the house, my heart dropped and panic overcame me.
I said to the kids, "Oh my God, he went outside!"
I noticed the door cracked open; I opened the door to find him. Thinking I was going to be searching for him somewhere out there in the deep snow. We had about 3 feet; instead, he lay right outside the house, face down in the snow, wearing only a diaper and his boots beside him. I screamed his name and ran to pick him up.
His body stiff and cold, I thought, "Oh my God, he is dead!"; I did not say it.
I quickly ran into the house, Trevor in my arms. I picked up the phone, dialed "911".
I laid Trevor on the kitchen table and listened to "911" dispatch. Tyler, age 8, my oldest son, ran and got blankets. He kept holding Trevor's hand saying,"come on Buddy". I tried to explain to dispatch what had happened, but I'm not sure if he understood me. I remember he kept asking, "is Trevor breathing"? I could not tell! I would lay my head down on his chest and feel with my hand, but all I could feel was a frozen body. No heartbeat and his eyes, so big, open, he was not blinking.
I told dispatch(Jeff Overdorff)there is nothing but a gurgling sound coming from his throat.
Jeff instructed me to start rescue breathing. I started to do so, as he instructed.
EMT (Tom Edsell) Hops ambulance EMTs rushed in the door. I felt so relieved that someone was here to help. I backed away, hung up the phone and let Tom take over.
Tom asked all kinds of questions. When I told him how I found him, I saw the concern in Tom's face.
Soon EMTs, Jackie and Carl Whithead and others were there to help.
They wrapped him in blankets, started oxygen and took him on his way to meet "Guthrie One" helicopter.
I did not know if Trevor was dead or alive. My son Tyler asked, "is he going to die?". We sat on the couch, held each other and prayed. Tiffany had just turned 7 and I do not think she understood what was taking place; maybe she did, but she did not want to know.
I do know she has had after effects. To this day she will not even go into another room alone.
EMTs Jackie and Carl were great to me. They stayed with me throughout the whole ordeal.
They took me to the hospital where Trevor was taken. My brother-in-law (Jack) stayed with the other children.
Soon after arriving at the Robert Packer Hospital, they informed me Trevor would have to go into the operating room for a blood by-pass to warm his blood. His body temperature was 70 degrees at this time; death normally occurs at 75 degrees. A child's by-pass had never been done before in this hospital. He is now in the hospital's Hall of Fame.
Two hours later, his body temperature almost normal, still not breathing on his own, was stable enough to be flown to the children's hospital in Danville, Pa.
By this time family members made their way to the hospital. Patty: my sister-in- law drove me to the children's hospital and other family members followed. Randy: Trevor's dad met us there; he came with his 18 wheeler. I called my other children, tried to explain to them what was taking place.
I told the kids,"just keep praying".
When the nurses came out they tried to prepare me of the tubes, wires, and all the machines he would have on him. But all I saw was my baby boy. I gave him a kiss and told him, "hang on, I still need you"!
The staff at the hospital told us he was still unconscious; they would not know anything until he woke up. They said there would be possible brain and organ damage. They told us we could go in with him but not to stay long. I held his hand and kept saying how much I loved him and to hang on. He has always been a strong boy, now he had to be a fighter.
The family of Trevor spent the night in the waiting room, little sleep, a lot of praying, thinking and crying.
The very next morning our prayers were answered. He was waking up, looking around. I asked him, "can you see grandma and the balloons?" His heart monitor kept beating faster and faster. I knew from that moment, he was going to be ok.
He soon was taken off all tubes and machines; he was breathing on his own.
His very first words were, "I want to go outside and I want ice cream." Half laughing and half crying at his words, we all felt relief.
The Dr.s were astonished at Trevor and said he was the biggest miracle of the year. Trevor went home from the hospital on the third day with no brain or organ damage.
I myself have so many to thank.
First is God himself, for turning tragedy into a miracle.
Dr.Reicknect, the surgeon that performed the blood by-pass.
Hops ambulance crew, for their quick response.
911 dispatch, for instructing me what to do.
The EMTs, Guthrie One crew, and all the hospital staff.
Trevor was chosen by the Chidren's Miracle Network, to be the Poster child for 1999. On June 5 & 6th, he was on the Geisinger Miracle Network Telethon and has been the host for many benefits.
Today, Trevor is a
normal,
healthy, active boy. I am glad to tell the story of
our happy ending.