Chris and Jeni Bogan of Kimberly feel blessed to be holding their beautiful boy. Complications during Henry's birth last October threatened his life.
"He had a loss of oxygen. He tried to take a breath before he was ready to take a breath and so that's why he was blue," Jeni explains.
Little Henry suffered a lung puncture and swelling on his brain. The next day, he had a seizure that lasted four minutes.
"It was just a big shock," Chris said. "Yeah, it was very scary. Very scary," added Jeni.
The Bogans were terrified as they watched the transport team arrive to drive Henry from Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh to the level three neonatal intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton. He made the trip inside an isolette.
"It's got a ventilator built in. It has IV pumps where we can run medicine. It keeps the baby warm. It keeps the baby stable," explains Brandi Cavegn, Patient Care Director for Women and Family Services.
The isolette acts as a lifeline in the ambulance.
Jeni says, "We just knew that he was getting a safe ride."
After two weeks in the NICU, Henry, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was healthy enough to go home.
"Those first two weeks of his life, he got excellent care. I think that has really helped him make the progression that he has," says Jeni.
The Bogans will share their story at the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation's upcoming women's golf benefit to raise $150,000 for a new isolette.
"We've been using the same one for 10 years and the reason we're looking for a new one is, as you can tell, there's some pieces that are kind of attached to the outside, and now those are all built within one system," Cavegn explains.
She says the new isolette is smaller which makes it less intimidating for parents and easier for medical teams to work on ill babies.
"What you need to do for them can change quickly, so being able to be sort of nimble and be able to meet their needs is what we need to be able to do," says neonatologist Kimberly Seeger.
Cutting edge technology also makes the new units safer.
Cavegn says, "The newer isolettes actually have motion control in them to where they don't hit the bumps as hard."
Cavegn is encouraging the public to come to the fundraiser. "They will actually have a piece in saving babies' lives."
She believes the updated equipment will lead to more positive outcomes.
Chris says, "It could be anybody's kids or grandkids or neighbor's kids. You never know who's going to need it."
Jeni adds, "We're so incredibly grateful for everyone that is so giving to something that's important."
The Bogan's know with the new isolette, other children, like Henry, will get the best start to life as possible.
The 24th annual Women's Golf and Luncheon Benefit is Monday, August 1st at North Shore Golf Club in Menasha. There is also a silent auction, raffles, and bunko. You can still register. Click here for more information.
