Silas was just two months old when he suddenly developed a cough and didn’t want to eat. His parents thought it was a common cold, but then he became dehydrated, so they took him to a local clinic to get checked out.
“They also thought he just had a cold and sent us home,” explained his mother, Alicia. “But his condition got worse. He cried a lot and seemed to be in pain. Then he spiked a fever.”
Alicia took Silas to a nearby hospital’s emergency department, where he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection (UTI). The hospital didn’t have the capacity to treat him, so he was transferred to Advocate Children’s Hospital – Park Ridge.
“At this point, I thought my baby was dying; that’s how bad it was. But the doctors at Advocate Children’s moved quickly. They knew he had more than a UTI; they were certain he also had a kidney infection, which tests confirmed. He was basically on the verge of sepsis. They immediately began treating him with antibiotics and fluids. His condition started to improve right away.”
Silas was hospitalized for more than a week.
“It was a scary time for us, but we knew he was in good hands,” shared Alicia. “The nurses were constantly checking his vitals and making sure he was getting better. They promised us he’d be fine, which made me feel better.”
Silas’s hospital stay was stressful for the whole family. His two other siblings stayed with close friends while his father split his time between work and the hospital. And Alicia’s mental health suffered.
“I stayed at the hospital pretty much the whole time. I went home to shower and eat, but mostly I was with Silas. It was hard because I was still recovering from giving birth. My hormones and emotions were all over the place. I didn’t have time to rest and heal myself.”
But Alicia found support at the hospital.
“The nurses checked on me as well as on Silas. They asked how I was feeling and made sure we ate,” said Alicia. “They were compassionate and genuinely cared about our whole family.”
Alicia also felt well-informed during their stay.
“We had daily meetings with the doctors and nurses to go over the treatment plan. They explained everything in a way that was easy to understand.”
Their experience was so positive that Alicia and her husband decided to switch Silas’s primary care to an Advocate Health Care pediatrician, Dr. Christina Swanson. Now Silas is a rambunctious 3-year-old. He saw a kidney specialist for regular checkups but was cleared last summer. He hasn’t had another UTI or any major health problems.
Recently, Alicia submitted a note of gratitude to Silas’s care team: “Thank you all for saving his life and continuing to be the best! A special shout out to Dr. Christina Swanson, his primary care provider who was recommended by the hospital before my son got discharged. Not only did this hospital bless my son with the best care but also the best doctor any child could have.”
How you can help
Advocate Children’s Hospital is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of donors to ensure programs and services are available to support families like Silas’s during hospital stays. Please consider making a gift today.