Brittany Nicole Fairfield
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Brittany Nicole Fairfield is a beautiful 5 year old with Down Syndrome. In 1997 she spent 2 months in the ICU at James Whitcomb Riley Hospital For Children. She was admitted for breathing problems and the next day she was transfered to the children's hospital. The day after that she asperated and was immediately intubated and put on the ventalator. She had Bacterial Pnuemonia. After a while they tried to ween her off and couldn't seem to get her down past a peep of 10.
They tried this 2 more times before they did a Broncheoscopy and found the severe Tracheomalacia. She had lived with this for her first 4 and 1/2 years of life. They decided to remove her Tonsils and adnoids and this wasn't the total answer. They trached her that September. They then weened her off of the vent and she came home Oct. 10 1997. Before she came home they placed a G-tube and put her on a pureed diet. At that time she was on O2 at night and room air through the day. Eventually she was sent home on Continuious Positive Airway Pressure or C-pap. This was after she had been admited 4 more times.She couldn't sustain herself on anything else.
She is now happy and gaining weight again and she can now eat anything but she has to thicken all of her thin liquids. She has been out of the hospital for 3 months with the exception of a short 3 day obs. stay.
She had Down Syndrome,Tracheomalacia, lung disease, asperation, reactive airway disease(asthma), ear tubes, and reflux. She is on C-PAP of 10, O2 at 30% continuously. At night she goes on Oximeter and an apnea monitor.
Her prognosis is good. They feel that she will eventually be off the C-PAP and the O2. She will probably have the trach for a while.
Update 7/30/98 - Brit has now had a nissen fundoplication and a pyloraplasty. She is recovering and this will enable her to be off two of her meds and decrease the chance of asperating reflux. They also have repaired an umbilical hernia.Update 2/4/99 - Brit has now been taken off of her C-PAP during the day. She was taken off at 10:30 this morning 2/4/99.
Update 6/17/99 - She is now on C-pap only at night without O2. Her G-tube has been removed and the place healed. She also went through surgery to reinforce her tummy. We are starting to potty train.
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Update 6/22/00 - Great news. Brit's breathing treatments have been reduced from 4x per day to 2-4x per day!
Update 1/13/01 - On Friday,Jan. 21,2001 Brit's Doctor wrote the orders for the romoval of the C-pap. She is starting on a trach collar and 30% O2 as of Monday the 15. Big Congrates to the big girl. Her Sats during the sleep study were:
- Low while awake was 82%
- Low while asleep was 88%
- Average was 95%.
- Highest amount of CO2 was 55%
The Bronch results were that she had Moderate Tracheomalacia. That is upgraded from severe. Go Brit!
Update 3/8/02 I have an update for her page. On Feb. 12th she was successfully decannulated. GO Brit. She is now on 24% O2 or .5 liters via nasal cannula. She is doing well.
Final Update, November 27, 2002 - Brit has officially been removed from all O2. She is thriving successfully and we hope that this continues on until forever.
Update, July 2003 - Wanted to share the news...Brit has a new little sister. Jessica Mae, Born 7/01/03.
Thanks to all of you for your support.
If anyone would like to email me my email is 1brittany@ivillage.com
icq number: 33448441
Beth, Paul, Elisabeth 9, Brittany 8, and Willie 7 Fairfield
