Caden and Lisa Boesel
Our story began when Caden was only three. Little boys are usually indestructible – full of noise and energy and unstoppable questions. Caden was none of those things right then. He had been ill for three weeks with high fevers, nausea, swelling behind his ear and dehydration that saw him lose 10 lbs. We took him to umpteen doctors and in spite of antibiotics for an ear infection, Caden kept getting worse. He was a sick little boy who couldn’t get the help he needed. Not being able to help him made me feel guilty and vulnerable. The lump had grown to the size of a red golf ball and on February 14, Valentine’s Day, in desperation and not knowing where else to turn, I took him to the Emergency Department at Eagle Ridge Hospital.
Caden was seen right away by Dr. Joe Haegart and Jeannette Gordon, the Emergency RN, who immediately diagnosed his condition as mastoiditis. They swiftly drained the infection and sent Caden by ambulance for a CT scan. They were so sympathetic and caring. Jeanette had such a calming effect on me. Her reassurances made me feel safer. The Eagle Ridge team was so quick and efficient in their actions.
I’d never been in an ambulance before and was still pretty scared. When I next saw Caden he was full of IV lines and about to be transferred to Children’s Hospital for an emergency craniotomy. The scan showed the infection had entered his scull and was close to his brain. He was in real danger and I kept thinking, “This can’t be real”.
Following a 3 1/2 hour operation to relieve the pressure on his brain, his first words on waking up were, “Mommy, I want a donut”. As the tears rolled down my cheek, all I could utter was “Thank you, God, for saving my little boy”. I will be ever grateful for the thoroughness and skill of Dr. Haegart and Jeannette Gordon. Their swift action saved Caden’s life.
After two weeks in the hospital, Caden came home but had to return to Eagle Ridge twice a day for IV therapy for the next six weeks. On each visit he reconnected with Jeannette and they have developed a special bond that makes Caden look forward to his visits to Eagle Ridge. They’ve become good pals.
