Orlando, Fla. (October 17, 2019) When she was in labor, Samantha Pankhurst, of West Palm Beach, learned that her placenta had separated from the uterus, meaning that her newborn was being deprived of her source of oxygen. Following tests, it was determined that newborn baby Abigail needed to be transported to Nemours Children’s Hospital for specialized care to help stop potential damage to her brain. During that two-hour transport in a Nemours ambulance outfitted with a machine that can begin the process of therapeutic hypothermia, the baby was able to start whole-body cooling therapy.
Upon arrival at NCH, the care team of dedicated specialists continuously monitored the exact cooling temperatures to cool the brain below normal body temperature, decreasing the chances of brain injury, explained her doctor, Darlene Calhoun, D.O., chief of neonatology at Nemours. Then, re-warming took place under the watch of this multidisciplinary team, and the baby was able to go home. Learn more about this lifesaving advance in neonatal care and watch Abigail’s story.
Downloadable video interviews with the family and Dr. Calhoun are also available.
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