| Baby Shay Still Fighting After
Six Surgeries in Six Months
July 8, 1998
By Becky Boyer
Mount Vernon Democrat
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Baby Shay is a survivor after six surgeries, but she is waiting to grow
10 pounds so she can have two more.
Shay Elizabeth Williamson was born seven weeks
premature on January 11 at Welborn Hospital. her mother, Renee Williamson,
had placenta previa during her pregnancy. “The doctor told us she
wasn’t going top make it, and they would have to do emergency surgery,”
Renee remembers.
So far, Baby Shay has had surgery for the
insertion of a G tube, a stomach perforation, stomach surgery, bypass of
the pancreas to the intestine, esophageal atresia repair, dilation of the
esophagus, and nissen raplasty.
She is now five and a half months old, weighs
seven pounds eight ounces, and is waiting to grow to 10 pounds so she can
have two more surgeries. “We brought her home on May 1 from Riley
Hospital, and she has only been home for three weeks. She went into
congestive heart failure, and she had to be lifeflighted to Riley where
she went on a ventilator for a couple of weeks,”
Renee said.
“We brought her home again for a week, then
it was back up to Riley for a week for those last two surgeries.
This past Thursday she was rushed back up for respiratory distress, and
we are now waiting for her to go up for clinics, unless she happens
to have to stay,” Renee continued.
After Baby Shay has the two additional surgeries,
she will have to see an ear, nose and throat specialist for a tracheal
mylasia. Although the doctors did a sleep study over the weekend
to check her for oxygen, they were unable to wean her off to check her
chronic lung disease. She is on quite a bit of equipment to check
oxygen for a feeding tube and equipment.
“Shay is a full-time job. She takes
12 kinds of medicine. I’m going to earn my nursing degree taking
care of her,” quipped Renee.
Because of Shay’s condition, Renee can not
work, and her medical expenses are extensive. The family is also
in need of a van to help transport her, as her equipment takes up a lot
of space and she is on a heart monitor.
“Thanks to the community for all their help
and prayers, but we need help with all the expenses back and forth,”
Renee noted.
If you would like to
contribute to Shay Elizabeth Williamson, she has a fund at the Old
National Bank in Mount Vernon.
 |
Thanks to Becky Boyer, Dave Pearce
and The Mount Vernon Democrat
for kind permission to reprint this article. |
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angel graphics courtesy Designs by Rick