Pediatric Intensive Care
and a Little Mermaid

A few days before her 8th birthday, Heli was at the pool, practicing holding her breath underwater. In a sudden and frightening turn of events, she lost consciousness, and was brought to the surface, not breathing and without a heartbeat. The lifeguards responded quickly to resuscitate her and she was rushed to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

For hours, with so much water in her lungs, the "Little Mermaid’s" condition was touch and go. In the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, hospital staff kept close watch. Either her lungs needed to clear, she would need a breathing tube, or her lungs might simply choose to shut down. It was all a matter of waiting to see.

For Tricia, Heli’s mother, it was an agonizing time. She was impressed, however, with the speed, the professionalism and the expertise of the staff, as well as the outpouring of attention. "The Emergency Room nurses and pediatric intensivist, Dr. Lakhani, were amazing," says Tricia. "They knew how to help all of us. They were caring, they were honest. I needed that."

Heli, now conscious, was receiving oxygen. “How’s our little mermaid?” staff members would ask her. “You know, you’re human now. You can’t breathe under water anymore."

Early the next morning, Heli’s condition turned around; her lungs cleared. And today, she’s back to life. Her mother has high praise for the hospital. "We went through some of the worst moments in our lives. And the hospital pulled us through. We’ll never forget how caring and professional they were. Thanks for helping our little mermaid.”