For Eleanor, Tyler and their daughter Greta, Children’s Minnesota holds a special place in their hearts. The family, who now reside in Birmingham, Alabama, lived in Minneapolis for many years when Greta was young. Their journey to Children’s Minnesota began shortly before Greta’s third birthday.
A sudden illness
Right before her third birthday, Greta started coming down with a cold. Not thinking much of it, the family continued with festivities to celebrate their daughter. But halfway through the party, Greta told her parents she wanted to go home. She started to wheeze. Eleanor still remembers Greta turning to her family to say, “I’m scared, I can’t breathe.” Her parents called the pediatrician, who sent them straight to the Children’s Minnesota emergency department in Minneapolis.
Hospitalization and treatment
At the hospital, Greta received a nebulizer treatment, which initially seemed to help. But quickly, things kept getting worse. She was kept in close observation as the medical team continued to assess the situation. The next morning, the pediatrician brought in an intensivist, and it became clear that more aggressive treatment was needed. By the afternoon, it was evident that she needed to be intubated, but even that wasn’t enough. The intensivist informed the family that their next best option was to put Greta on ECMO, a heart-lung bypass machine. Greta’s heart was starting to fail as she struggled to oxygenate herself. There was no guarantee it would help, and no one knew if Greta would make it through the night.
“Within 24 hours, Greta had gone from a birthday party to being on ECMO,” said Eleanor remembering the emotional experience.
Recovery and rehabilitation
Fortunately, the team’s efforts were successful. After being on ECMO for 10 days and an additional week on a ventilator, she began to get better.
Today, Greta is thriving. She is a senior in high school getting ready to go off to college, and she’s focused on making a difference.
Describing the family’s experience, Eleanor shared, “It’s a remarkable story of the right people at the right time fighting for her. We’re super fortunate. We really needed to be at Children’s Minnesota, with the Children’s [Minnesota] specialists. Everything worked the way it should.”
Greta and Eleanor reunite with their ECMO nurse
Greta’s journey didn’t end there. Her family continued to be involved with the hospital, serving on the family advisory council for several years. Watch the video above as the family reunites with their lead ECMO nurse, Andy Berndt, nearly 15 years later.
Give to the Max Day
This November, we are celebrating Give to the Max Day and 100 years of caring for kids like Greta with a $100,000 matching gift! Thanks to the generous Robert M. Jones Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, your donation will go twice as far! Help us celebrate by donating now at ChildrensMN.org/Give
