Most families who end up in Brenner Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) never expect to be there. T.J. and Olivia Beroth were no exception.
Early one morning, 25 weeks and six days into her pregnancy, Olivia began having contractions. She says, “I thought they would be able to give me some kind of medicine to stop the contractions. I knew it was too early and we weren’t ready.”
A little more than an hour after arriving at the hospital, Tyson and Hunter were delivered by emergency C-section. Each boy weighed a mere 1 pound, 12 ounces. As T.J. recalls, “Tyson was so small, my wedding band could slide all the way up to his forearm.”
Unfortunately, an early arrival was not the only complication. Hunter had a gastrointestinal issue that would require surgery, and Tyson had a Grade 4 brain hemorrhage—an extremely dangerous issue that can occur in early newborns whose blood vessels are not yet fully developed.
Despite these early obstacles, Tyson and Hunter were able to head home as happy and healthy babies after a three-and-a-half month stay in the NICU.
Looking back years later, in a house littered with toys and full of the laughter of his sons, T.J. says, “Now we’ve got healthy kids. You’d never know [that they had complications at birth]. Every day I feel like a daddy who’s watching his sons hit home runs.”
“[At Brenner Children’s], you’re putting your child in the care of men and women who are just angels,” he says. “Thousands of people drive by there every day and don’t know how blessed we are to have Brenner in our community.”
“They deserve a hug. They deserve a thank you. They deserve a ‘You’ll never know how much this means,’” says Olivia. “It’s worth more than just words can say.”
The Beroth family is doing well. Micah joined the family in 2017, and they are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their fourth child in 2019.
Brenner Children’s offers the community and the region the finest neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, neonatal nurse practitioners, nurses and pediatric specialists equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. They care for our tiniest, most vulnerable patients—giving them the best chance of surviving and thriving throughout their lives.
We are raising $25 million over the next two years to build a new NICU with 50 private patient rooms—a private moment deserves private space. Your support will help us to create a quiet and inviting setting for bonding and give families like the Beroths as close to a home environment as possible.
