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Hospital helps new family see baby in NICU during winter storm
When a mother unexpectedly gave birth at the onset of the winter storm, a North Texas hospital stepped in to make sure the family would be able to safely see their new bundle of joy. FOX 4's Dionne Anglin has more.
ARLINGTON, Texas - A local hospital wouldn't let the Texas winter storm get in the way of a new mother seeing her baby.
An unexpected surprise
What they're saying:
Mia Lanning went to a routine prebirth appointment on Monday, Jan. 19 at Medical City Arlington expecting nothing out of the ordinary. The next morning, she would give birth to her daughter Elowyn far earlier than she and her husband Clark had anticipated.
"They told me I needed to have her as soon as possible, so by Tuesday morning they did a C-section," Mia told FOX 4's Dionne Anglin.
Elowyn was admitted to the NICU for specialized monitoring and care. When Mia was discharged, the family thought they'd be home before the winter storm hit, but baby Elowyn had complications that led to a longer stay in the NICU.
The family was faced with the prospect of traversing hazardous roads to see their new baby.
"We found ourselves in a very long stay that led into the winter storm," Mia continued. "I was feeling a little anxious. If we had to be sent home, we wouldn’t be able to just easily come back-and-forth."
Medical City Arlington steps in
Seeing the couple's predicament, Medical City Arlington stepped in to help.
The hospital offered the Lannings to stay onsite during the storm to stay closer to their new bundle of joy free of charge.
"I told her your healing and your daughter are what matter most right now. Everything else we can handle," OB/GYN manager Kerrie Eyler said in a release from the hospital.
"I remember crying and Kerrie giving me a hug, just the relief I felt. I knew that if we left we probably wouldn’t be able to come back for a few days because of how bad the weather was," Mia said.
"It kind of just made it a little easier that we could continue to come up to the NICU and see Elowyn, even though outside we couldn’t go anywhere," her husband Clark told FOX 4.
What's next:
The Lannings stayed at Medical City Arlington until Thursday, when baby Elowyn was discharged from the NICU.
Now, the new family is heading home on roads where the ice has mostly melted. The first order of business for Elowyn? Meeting her older brother, who is two and a half years old.
"I just remember feeling an incredible relief and weight taken off. I started crying," Mia continued.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 4 reporting and a release from Medical City Arlington.