When Brookelyn and David were expecting their first baby, they were just like other parents. The family from Deer River, Minnesota was eager for their son’s arrival as they prepared all the little things needed for a newborn, from a bassinet to toys to bottles and baby clothes. Everything seemed normal and when the big day came, Bennett was born a healthy and happy baby, weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces.
But when he was just 2 weeks old, something was off. He started having trouble taking his bottles, his diapers were dry, and his body was a little colder than normal. Brookelyn was a bit worried but thought it might just be a minor illness.
Bennett takes a turn for the worse
Everything got a lot worse on Thanksgiving Day 2023 when Bennett suddenly began to gag and choke on his milk. Brookelyn and David rushed their son to their local hospital in Deer River. There, staff noticed an alarmingly high heart rate, so much so that they thought the monitors were broken. With things getting worse, Bennett was transported to Essentia Health–St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. As the ambulance rushed towards Duluth, Bennett’s heart rate kept climbing, reaching an astounding 280 beats per minute.
When they reached St. Mary’s, Brookelyn and David knew things were serious.
“I could see the panic. Everyone was so focused on their job,” said Brookelyn.
His heart rate kept climbing, at its peak reaching 320 beats per minute. The pediatric intensive care unit nurses at St. Mary’s worked hard to place an IV for Bennett, but it was difficult with how distressed he was. Dr. Steven Haasken, a pediatric critical care physician at St. Mary’s, was the physician caring for Bennett and diagnosed him with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a type of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) in which the heart beats very quickly.
“Bennett had the worst heart function I’ve ever seen,” said Dr. Haasken. Bennett was experiencing severe heart failure. Dr. Haasken and the clinical team quickly recognized they needed to consult with the cardiovascular and neonatology kid experts at Children’s Minnesota.
“Our neonatal transport team has been transporting critically ill newborns for more than 34 years. We know that every second counts and collaboration with the other care team is paramount to ensuring babies survive,” said Dr. Tom George, system medical director of neonatology at Children’s Minnesota. Bennett had little time to spare. He was turning gray.
The 155-mile journey from Duluth to Minneapolis
“Things got really scary,” Brookelyn described.
The parents rushed to drive the 155-mile trek from Duluth to Children’s Minnesota’s hospital in Minneapolis so they could be there when Bennett arrived. When they were just 10 minutes away from the hospital, they received a call from Dr. Haasken that Bennett had gotten worse and wasn’t even on the helicopter yet. The St. Mary’s team and the neonatal transport team were working hard to stabilize him for the journey.
At Children’s Minnesota, Brookelyn and David met Dr. Tom George, system medical director of neonatology, who briefed them on what was happening with Bennett. They were taken to the room where Bennett would be brought. Meanwhile at St. Mary’s, Dr. Haasken was able to place a large intravenous (IV) line that allowed him to receive medications to help stabilize his heart rate and function enough to transport to Children’s Minnesota.
“As Bennett’s health continued to decline, it was teamwork between the NICU and pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Minnesota and myself that allowed him to survive. We all had different skills that we brought to the table. Everyone did their part and focused on Bennett’s wellbeing. It was through our collaboration that he was stabilized for transfer and able to recover.”
Once Bennett made it to the level IV NICU at the Children’s Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis, the neonatal and cardiovascular teams were ready for him. Brookelyn recalls more than 15 clinical experts working together to make sure Bennett would be OK. Eventually, they were able to successfully bring Bennett’s heart rate down, but he wasn’t in the clear just yet. The family was introduced to Dr. Bryan Jepson, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Minnesota, who was a member of Bennett’s care team.
“Dr. Jepson told us he was likely in SVT for at least 48 hours,” Brookelyn said. “He told us that if we had not brought Bennett in that day, he likely wouldn’t have made it through the night.” Bennett had signs of significant injury to his other organs as a result of his arrhythmia and would need a lot of support in the NICU through the night.
Finding answers
Brookelyn and David tried their best to rest that night, with the worry that their son might not make it. But they awoke to good news. The team had successfully stabilized Bennett and found the reason for his abnormal heart rate.
Bennett was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a heart condition where someone has episodes of rapid heart rate due to an extra electrical pathway in the heart. WPW is a relatively rare condition seen in just 0.1-0.2% of the population. Bennett was prescribed a medication to be taken every 6-8 hours to keep his heart rate normal. They were given a stethoscope to check Bennett’s heart rate daily.
Describing the family’s experience at Children’s Minnesota, Brookelyn said, “I have nothing but great things to say. They were amazing – Dr. Jepson, Dr. George, everyone, all the nurses. They were on top of it. They never let us lose hope either.”
Bennett today
Looking at Bennett now, you’d never guess what he’s gone through.
“This whole experience is a blessing in disguise,” said Brookelyn. Around the time he enters kindergarten, doctors expect he’ll be able to undergo a procedure called an ablation with the cardiac electrophysiology team at Children’s Minnesota to fix his condition.
Bennett continues to receive ongoing care at St. Mary’s in Duluth, with regular cardiology appointments to ensure he continues to thrive.
“He’s healthy, happy and content. For the most part, he’s a really normal child. He just takes extra medication. He’s our miracle baby,” said Brookelyn. “I am just truly grateful for both St. Mary’s in Duluth and Children’s (Minnesota) for saving our little boy’s life.”
