194 days. That’s how long Priscilla was in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, after being born prematurely at 25 weeks. Priscilla was immediately intubated — a process where a breathing tube is placed through the mouth and down the throat — and relied on a ventilator to breathe. As Pricilla grew and developed, her medical team focused on helping her breathe on her own. However, each time they removed her breathing tube it eventually had to be reinserted because her doctors found her body was working too hard to breathe independently. During her treatment, Priscilla was diagnosed with subglottic stenosis, a narrowing of the airways around the vocal cords that blocked air from getting through her nose and mouth to her lungs. Priscilla’s family and care team decided a tracheostomy, a breathing tube placed directly into the windpipe, would be the best option for her.

After six months in the NICU and undergoing a tracheostomy procedure, Priscilla was transferred to La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Here Priscilla’s parents, Sharon and Pedro, would learn the ins and outs of the medical technology that their daughter relied on and would ultimately allow them to bring her home.

Priscilla was aboard the S.S. La Rabida inpatient unit for two months, and in that time her parents learned everything they needed to know about the medical technology that kept Priscilla alive.

“Learning trach care in the NICU was pretty stressful. When we got to La Rabida they taught us a whole new way of doing things that was so much easier,” explained Sharon. “They are very focused on making sure parents know how to take care of their kids when they come home. They gave us that push and had confidence in us.”

In addition to the educational aspect of her stay, Priscilla also received a variety of developmental and rehabilitative treatments including speech, physical, and occupational therapy.

Since being discharged, Priscilla and her family continue to visit La Rabida’s Technology Dependent Clinic (TDC) on an outpatient basis every three months. Her TDC care team includes a pulmonologist, pediatrician, dietitian, nurse practitioner, respiratory therapist, and social worker that work together to provide specialized care to children who rely on medical technology.

“I love that when we come to La Rabida, we can see the whole team at once,” shared Sharon.

Now two and a half years old, Priscilla and her family are thriving.

“My ultimate goal is to have the trach out and have Priscilla completely breathing on her own. We are now 12 hours off the ventilator [each day]. She is walking, running, and climbing. She’s very playful,” shared Sharon. “I don’t think I would have gotten through this if it wasn’t for her team. I will forever be grateful for La Rabida. They’ve given me my baby.”