DELLA'S STORY

Caitlin Calder and her husband Chad were just getting to know their newborn girl - Della Belle, when they received the scare of a lifetime. When Della was just five weeks old, she contracted Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants under 1 year of age. Della was immediately transported to CHOC and admitted into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

In the PICU, Della was sedated and intubated. She received a blood transfusion. Caitlin will never forget how scary that first day was, but recalls how warm and kind the staff were, and is grateful for the tremendous effort of the physicians and nurses to keep her family informed every step of the way.

After being awake for 40 hours, Caitlin was approached by a CHOC nurse, who encouraged her to go home, shower, sleep and spend time with her son. The nurse assured her that Della was in the very best of hands and finally convinced the exhausted mother to go home.

Caitlin wasn't gone long, and when she did return, she was surprised to find a former high school classmate tending to her daughter. Caitlin recalls how attentive this nurse was and appreciated the opportunity to help bathe and change her daughter - precious moments for a mother. She soon realized, though, that she wasn't receiving special treatment. She explains, "This nurse treated me as a friend and I soon realized I wasn't getting special treatment. It was simply how the PICU nurses treated everyone."

Now, with Della in excellent health and home with her family, Caitlin adds, "I become teary eyed thinking about our experience with CHOC. I feel that the emotional impact on my family and me could have been devastating had it not been for the kindness, empathy and concern shown by the nurses. We almost lost our baby girl before we even had the chance to get to know her and we are forever grateful to CHOC for giving our daughter a second chance and doing it with such consideration and kindness."