The life of a premature baby born during the winter storm in Texas was saved thanks to a team of medical professionals, including a doctor and two nurses who traveled from east Austin to Marble Falls in an effort to save a newborn baby's life.
When Arias began experiencing pains, she and her parents headed to the closest hospital, Baylor Scott & White. Arias gave birth to her daughter, Zaylynn, who weighed just over one pound and was in need of advanced special care. However, the hospital does not offer the specialized care premature babies require.
"We had five or six people out at the nurses' station calling hospital networks all over the state of Texas," said Meredith Schubert, the labor and delivery nurse on duty when Arias arrived. "Nobody could answer our cry for help. "
They finally reached Dr. John Loyd through a patient, division neonatologist chief at Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin, Texas. Around 5 p. m. , after already having worked a full shift, Loyd packed his SUV with equipment and he and two NICU nurses set out for Marble Falls, about 55 miles away. The drive took Loyd and the nurses about two hours as they drove in the night through ice and snow.
After safely arriving at the Marble Falls medical center around 8 p. m. , the Dell Children's crew set up a temporary newborn ICU. Together, the Dell Children's and Baylor Scott & White teams worked around the clock to care for the mother and daughter.
Once the weather cleared enough to allow for a helicopter to safely land, Zaylynn was transferred to Dell Children's, where there is a Level IV newborn intensive care unit.
"It was incredible when the helicopter lifted off. There were tears from all of us," said Schubert. "It was a huge relief and sense of accomplishment and joy that Zaylynn was doing so well and getting to the place that she needed to be. "
Arias told KVUE that she was grateful to the doctors and nurses who worked together to save her daughter.
