Thanks to Care Available ONLY at St. Louis Children’s, Lowen is Thriving

Multiple specialties working together ensure patients receive the best care possible

When 23-month-old Lowen woke up looking gray and lethargic, her mom, Cassie, knew something wasn’t right. The pediatrician sent the family to a local emergency department near their home in Fulton, Missouri. Lowen was severely dehydrated, her white blood count was extremely elevated and she needed to be transferred by ambulance to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Columbia, Missouri.

That night, the hospital confirmed Lowen was sick with E. coli, and she was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare but serious disease that affects the kidneys and blood clotting system, which she acquired as a medical complication.

After 10 days filled with kidney dialysis, subsequent kidney failure and five seizures, Lowen needed to see a pediatric neurologist, someone their local hospital didn’t have on staff. She was simply too unstable to remain there. St. Louis Children’s Hospital sent a pediatric neurologists to visit Lowen in Columbia and initiate the transfer to the St. Louis Children’s PICU.

Unfortunately, Lowen wasn’t getting any better. She was on 24-hour dialysis and was still extremely unstable. She had to be intubated and only a day later, her medical team discovered she had a blood clot leading to her liver.

While the blood clot resolved itself a few days later, she was far from out of the woods. Lowen’s dad, CJ, and Cassie were frightened as they watched their youngest child rapidly worsen before their eyes.

Washington University physician and pediatric intensivist Mary Hartman, MD, MPH, met Lowen and her parents and immediately knew that St. Louis Children’s would give Lowen the best chance at surviving. Lowen’s blood pressure was incredibly hard to manage, which meant that she was at severe risk for stroke and seizure, further organ injury and heart failure. But eventually, Lowen’s blood pressure began to stabilize. Dr. Hartman said that was the first sign that everything was going to be OK.

Lowen’s recovery was slow but after 43 days as a hospital patient, 33 of those at St. Louis Children’s, she and her parents finally headed home to Fulton. Lowen no longer has daily therapy, but still has lingering effects of HUS. She continues to visit St. Louis Children’s to follow up with the nephrology team, and her parents speak with her doctors by phone regularly.

Lowen’s case required the collaboration of multiple specialty care teams to provide 24/7 dialysis care, 24/7 continuous EEG monitoring and interpretation, and prescription of the best medications for this unique situation. St. Louis Children’s is the only hospital in the region that provides all of these necessary services to ensure Lowen was safe and made a full recovery.

Now a spunky 5-year-old, Lowen loves princesses, animals and mermaids. Cassie and CJ are so thankful for everyone at St. Louis Children’s who not only took care of Lowen, but also stepped in to support them while their family was miles away.