Fragile Among Us continued
Nurse Jaylee Hilliard, RN, BSN; baby Kobe of
Belton, TX; and Cheryl Cipriani, MD.
23 weeks pregnant she went into labor.
Her physician at Metroplex Health System
had her transferred to Scott & White
Memorial Hospital in Temple, where she
could benefit from the expertise of Dr.
Cipriani and her team. After quickly
assessing the situation, they gave the Halls
heartbreaking news—their baby would
have only a 4 percent chance of surviving
labor and a 25 percent chance of living
for two weeks. When the team delivered
tiny Allison, she weighed just one and a
half pounds.
The swift action and advanced
expertise of the neonatal specialists can be
credited for saving Allison’s life. Because of
Allison’s early delivery and tiny size, her
body’s systems had no chance to develop
fully before birth. So for several weeks, a
high-frequency ventilator, funded through
donations to the Children’s Miracle
Network, helped her breathe. She also
experienced a severe brain bleed, needed
heart surgery to repair a valve and required
several blood transfusions. She remained in
the NICU for three months.
Mrs. Hall recalls those emotionally
wrenching early days. “Allison simply
would not be here without Scott & White.
The NICU staff often went out of their
way to do special things, like making
Allison’s brother, Tyler, feel comfortable or
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