Foundation Grant and Care Team Provide Peace of Mind for Family with Surprise Diagnosis

The day Tailor Atkinson went into labor two weeks early, her care team at Norman Regional Hospital found out that her baby, Maddox, was in a breech position. This meant he was facing up in her uterus instead of being in the ideal fetal position of facing head down. Atkinson ended up needing an emergency C-section.

Once Maddox was born, he was taken directly to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for respiratory issues. Atkinson expressed that after an emotionally and physically tough birth, it was hard not being able to hold Maddox and not knowing exactly what was going on with him. After being admitted to the NICU, Maddox’s care team came to find out that he was born with a surprise diagnosis of Down syndrome.

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“As young parents in our 20s, we really didn’t, really know what to expect. When you receive a surprise diagnosis of Down syndrome, it’s really just a whirlwind of emotion,” said Atkinson. “The staff did an amazing job kind of walking us through what that looked like, letting us know it’s really not as scary as what the world perceives it to be.”

Regarding Maddox’s surprise Down syndrome diagnosis and what the family needed to know about it, Atkinson says, “I feel like our, the nurses and the doctors in the NICU did a great job prepping us and, giving all the external resources.”

Maddox stayed in the NICU for two weeks receiving care. With his unexpected stay in the hospital, Atkinson said, “Leaving [the hospital] without your baby and him staying there is really, really difficult.”

The Norman Regional Health Foundation Making a Difference

The NICU team at Norman Regional Hospital made it easy for the Atkinsons to come visit their son. However, sometimes families cannot stay with their newborn in the NICU at all times. This is where the cameras in the NICU fill that gap.

Thanks to a grant awarded to the Norman Regional Hospital NICU from the Norman Regional Health Foundation, the unit is equipped with NICVIEW® cameras they can use for families to check in on their babies.

“They set up the camera system for us. Our nurse was really great about making sure the camera angles were good so we could see him,” said Atkinson. “We and all our family basically had access to that camera, and that was a huge peace of mind.”

Consistent and Dedicated Care

Maddox, who is now around 18 months, has made great progress hitting almost all of his milestones. He has graduated from occupational therapy and is now focusing on physical therapy, with the family traveling two hours each week to continue his treatment.

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"We travel two hours total a week to come up here and see the therapist for him, and I think that’s just a testament to the staff here and his therapists,” said Atkinson. “The consistency and support that they’ve not only given Maddox, but myself and our family has been amazing, and I couldn’t imagine going through this without them or their support.”

The support provided to Maddox and his family from Norman Regional is a testament to the power of compassionate, patient-centered care that the health system strives to provide. From the moment the Atkinsons walked through the doors of Norman Regional, the family was embraced by a supportive and highly skilled team working together to provide exceptional care.

Norman Regional is not just a place for healing—it’s a community of support, where patients and families are never alone.

To learn how you can help more families like the Atkinsons, visit the Norman Regional Health Foundation.