A newborn baby reaching the tender age of four months is a cause for celebration in Kansas City – and an urgent call for prayer, as his mother remains in recovery following a traumatic accident.
On December 17, 2013, 23 year-old Amie King and her two sons were driving to her parents’ home nearby. She was 15 weeks pregnant.
Tragedy struck the young family on that icy day just before Christmas. When she lost control and their car flipped over, Amie was ejected violently from the vehicle. While her two sons were uninjured, Amie sustained severe injuries.
“I saw a person lying in the field a good distance away from the vehicle,” said paramedic Danny Hall who answered the call. “When I got to her side, she was basically facedown and the firefighter first responder was trying to manually stabilize her.”
“When somebody is seriously injured and has a traumatic injury, time is of the essence,” he noted. Knowing a helicopter was still far away, Danny made the call to begin Amie’s transport via ambulance. Every moment was critical.
LifeFlight Eagle transported her to Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. Trauma surgeon Dr. F. Earl Scott recalls the scene when Amie arrived: “I really thought her chance of survival – from just what I saw on the neuro exam – was very, very poor.”
To save the mother and pre-born baby, twenty departments at the hospital sprang into action. Such diverse areas as neurosurgery, nutrition and high-risk obstetrics worked together to stabilize her.
As Amie’s hospital stay stretched into months, her multidisciplinary medical team met weekly to update the care plan for her – and her small pre-born baby. Their goal became to deliver the child at 34 weeks.
He came a little early. Born on April 19, 2014 via C-section, the premature boy weighed in at 5 lbs., 13 oz. after only 33 weeks and one day in his mother’s womb.
His grandparents named him Aiden which means little fiery one in Irish. “We wanted him to have the same initials as his mommy,” they told hospital staff. They’ve served as Aiden’s primary caregivers, with help from his older brothers and other extended family.
Four months later, Aiden has grown into a normal 14-lb. active baby boy. His mother, meanwhile, is still recovering at a rehabilitation center in Paola, KS. While generally in a vegetative state, she responds when Aiden enters the room.
“This just doesn’t happen,” said paramedic Danny Hall. “It doesn’t happen that a pregnant woman that sustains that type of traumatic injury is able to deliver the baby.”
“Somebody has a bigger plan for that little guy.”
Join us at Bound4LIFE as we pray for the complete recovery of Amie King, believing with the family for another miracle. Lift up all of the precious King family in prayer, including her three sons and their grandparents currently raising them.
LifeNews Note: Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.
