Hospital becomes part of Miracle Network

MICHAEL WYKE / Tulsa World

Bryan Genet holds his son, Braden, while talking about the 8-month-old’s heart surgeries at the Children’s Hospital at St. Francis, which has been named a member of the Children’s Miracle Network.

The nonprofit group will help more children like Braden Genet, who needed a complex heart operation.

By NELLIE KELLY World Staff Writer
9/12/2004

h3> Bryan Genet is convinced his son is a miracle.

The 8-month-old was born with several heart defects and was so weak that he didn't open his eyes for a week.

His heart and abdominal organs are reversed, as though his head is on backward, his father joked. He had no pulmonary valve, so blood couldn't flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery and lungs. An opening in the heart allowed bluish blood to mix with oxygen-rich blood, so Braden looked blue because his blood didn't contain enough oxygen.

During a seven-hour heart surgery on Christmas Eve, the Genet family prayed because they found out that doctors were having trouble removing Braden from the heart-lung bypass machine.

After surgery, Braden's blood pressure dropped, and he required chest compressions to bring him back to life.

"We planned for a miracle, to be honest with you," Genet said. "Now we expect him to outlive us."

After five weeks in the hospital, Braden was released. He'll need two more surgeries, but Genet is confident in even more miracles, he said.

The Children's Hospital at St. Francis will be able to help even more children like Braden because it has been named a member of the Children's Miracle Network.

The nonprofit organization raises funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America.

For more than 10 years, Children's Medical Center was the local partner for the network. But because it is part of Hillcrest Healthcare System, which was purchased by a for-profit company, it is no longer eligible for funding, said Mark Dixon, director of hospital relations for the Children's Miracle Network.

Last year, Children's Medical Center received about $400,000 from the national network, plus money from local sponsors.

St. Francis probably will generate at least $500,000, Dixon said. Depending on local fund-raisers, such as golf tournaments, dance marathons, corporate sponsors and individual donations, the campaign could bring in much more, Dixon said.

That money will help St. Francis to improve its services and continue to take care of uninsured children, said Dr. William Banner Jr., medical director of the children's hospital.

"It will allow us to increase our mission of handling all children that are in need in northeast Oklahoma," Banner said.

The children's hospital receives all pediatric trauma cases in eastern Oklahoma. The children's oncology clinic, the only such facility in the eastern half of the state, treats more than 700 children a year. Pediatric intensive care, the neonatal unit and 45 regular pediatric rooms all will benefit from the Children's Miracle Network.

Ninety-five pediatricians and 45 pediatric subspecialists are on staff.

"These resources help us help families at a time when they're undergoing a great deal of stress," Banner said. "We want people not to have an added burden."

St. Francis tries to provide fun for the children, such as video games and aquariums, and help for families who need food or accommodations in their child's room, Banner said. But funding for those extra services is tight, he said.

Recently, a big-screen television was donated to the cancer unit so that children there can keep their minds off their illnesses.

"It doesn't make the chemotherapy work better," Banner said. "But imagine if your kid had to get an IV infusion and had nothing to do."

Children's Miracle Network will make more fun amenities possible, Banner said.

"We want people to ask, 'What is my money going for?' " Banner said. "And we think we have the right answer. We have an open-door program regardless of ability to pay and nationally recognized programs that help children."

As for Genet, he wouldn't have chosen anywhere else for Braden's birth and surgeries, he said.

The first time the baby opened his eyes, a nurse took a photo. Then she sketched a portrait of the baby with his eyes open. The Genets framed the gifts so that they will never forget how much Braden has progressed.

"It really touched us because he almost died," Genet said.

Braden's surgeon, Dr. Richard Ranne, always showed concern, which put the family at ease, Genet said.

"He's genuine," Genet said. "He takes care of these kids like they're his own. He was here on Christmas Eve for us."

Cardiac surgery nurse Debi Lammert won the nickname "Aunt Debi" with the family.

When she went on vacation, she brought back an outfit from the Bahamas for Braden.

Concern like that makes Genet glad that St. Francis will receive extra funding, he said.

"They went out of their way to make us comfortable," Genet said. "The people here are awesome. We have a newfound respect for nurses because they are taken for granted. But they did everything they could for Braden."