Equipment Paid For By Hospital Employees Helps Lubbock Newborn Lead Normal Life
By: Allison Morrison
Updated: January 11, 2013
A Lubbock newborn is finally able to breathe on her own and employees at one local hospital played a part in making it possible.
Harper Hunt was born with Pierre Robin Sequence.
It's a condition that left her with a small jaw and a tongue that fell back in her throat, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
"As soon as she was born, they came in and kind of helped her, assisted her breathing and took her down here right away," Harper's mother, Holly Hunt said.
Harper recently underwent surgery at Covenant.
"That's where they put in the metal pieces on both sides of her jaw and the little arms that are attached, and they just use a screw driver, I mean a fancy screw driver, and turn her arms three times a day to distract about a millimeter a day, to basically grow her chin and jaw," Hunt said.
And in order to do that surgery, a piece of necessary equipment was donated by Covenant's own employees through a campaign called Covenant Cares.
"She needed this piece of equipment and so she made her case for that and the employee board reviewed her request and felt passionately that this was something that they wanted to be a part of and that their money should go towards something like this," Covenant Cares facilitator, Paula Miser said.
She said the pediatric flexible endoscopy system used during baby Harper's operation was paid for by Covenant's own employees through a campaign where workers donate part of their paycheck to help patient's like Harper.
"There are not always the funds to meet every need that the health system has, exactly when the need is there, so the employees are able to help out," Miser said.
"You can actually make a difference in this baby's life and the kids in West Texas, so that they no longer have to go to Dallas or Houston to get great cleft, lip and palette care," Dr. Joyce Chen said.
Dr. Chen did Harper's surgery and said the whole thing would have been cancelled without the equipment donated through the program.
Harper will be done with the distraction process in just a few days and by the middle of January, the metal arm pieces should be removed from her jaw.
Dr. Chen expects Harper to lead a normal life moving forward.
Harper Hunt was born with Pierre Robin Sequence.
It's a condition that left her with a small jaw and a tongue that fell back in her throat, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
"As soon as she was born, they came in and kind of helped her, assisted her breathing and took her down here right away," Harper's mother, Holly Hunt said.
Harper recently underwent surgery at Covenant.
"That's where they put in the metal pieces on both sides of her jaw and the little arms that are attached, and they just use a screw driver, I mean a fancy screw driver, and turn her arms three times a day to distract about a millimeter a day, to basically grow her chin and jaw," Hunt said.
And in order to do that surgery, a piece of necessary equipment was donated by Covenant's own employees through a campaign called Covenant Cares.
"She needed this piece of equipment and so she made her case for that and the employee board reviewed her request and felt passionately that this was something that they wanted to be a part of and that their money should go towards something like this," Covenant Cares facilitator, Paula Miser said.
She said the pediatric flexible endoscopy system used during baby Harper's operation was paid for by Covenant's own employees through a campaign where workers donate part of their paycheck to help patient's like Harper.
"There are not always the funds to meet every need that the health system has, exactly when the need is there, so the employees are able to help out," Miser said.
"You can actually make a difference in this baby's life and the kids in West Texas, so that they no longer have to go to Dallas or Houston to get great cleft, lip and palette care," Dr. Joyce Chen said.
Dr. Chen did Harper's surgery and said the whole thing would have been cancelled without the equipment donated through the program.
Harper will be done with the distraction process in just a few days and by the middle of January, the metal arm pieces should be removed from her jaw.
Dr. Chen expects Harper to lead a normal life moving forward.
