Liam Rhoades

THEN: Liam Rhoades was born at 24 weeks gestation at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. Weighing only 1 pound, 1 ounce at birth, he is the survivor of a set of twins. It was a long journey in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the next several months. He had a grade-4 brain bleed soon after birth, hernia repairs, a gastrostomy tube placement for feedings, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement due to increased intracranial pressure, frequent transfusions and so much more.

Liam developed a condition known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a form of chronic lung disease that affects newborns, especially those born prematurely. It results from damage to the lungs caused by mechanical ventilation respirators and long-term oxygen use. A tracheostomy was placed in March 2019, and Liam “graduated” from the NICU to the transitional care unit in September 2019 with the goal of getting home.

Liam was followed by multiple services at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, including, but not limited to, Child Life, Footprints℠, pulmonology, neurosurgery, general surgery, urology, otolaryngology, occupational therapy (OT), speech therapy, physical therapy (PT), music therapy and social services. He remained in the Hospital until home nursing and an appropriate home ventilator could be found. Liam and his family received additional layers of support from programs such as complex care and Special Needs Tracking and Awareness Response System (STARS). The staff was dedicated to helping teach Liam’s mom, Amy, to feel successful performing all his clinical care at home. Liam finally was discharged with a tracheostomy, home ventilator, home tube feedings, multiple therapies and more in March 2020, amid the coronavirus crisis.

UPDATE: Liam has made great strides since his discharge in 2020. He just celebrated his 5th birthday in September, loves everything “Blaze and the Monster Machines” and is in his third year of pre-K. He no longer needs the ventilator, and his tracheostomy will be closed in the spring. Liam is active with PT, OT and speech therapy through SSM Health and is a happy and active young boy.