Little Heart, Big Miracle
Counselor, teacher, friend. All these roles MJHS pediatric home care nurse Aliza played when the Martinez family brought home their son Ashton, a tiny baby with a big heart problem.
Ashton spent the first three months of life in the hospital due to a blockage in his heart’s main artery. By three months, poor Ashton had undergone three operations, including the implantation of a brain shunt. His growth was delayed, and he was tinier than the stethoscopes so many doctors used on him.
When he finally came home, he required unusual attention. He still needed a feeding tube, and his blood pressure had to be watched carefully. “I was relieved to be home with him, hold him in my arms,” said his mother, Martina. But she was also scared. Providing Ashton with the proper care was daunting.
MJHS nurse Aliza took control, teaching Martina the signs of shunt malfunction and infection, showing her how to measure proper drug doses and how to use feeding tubes. As she educated her, she calmed her. Soon, Aliza was able to cut her visits from twice a week to once a month. It wasn’t just that Ashton was healthier. His mother was in control.
Martina calls Ashton’s recovery “a miracle.” But she is almost as stunned at the role she played in it, thanks to Aliza. “I don’t think I could have done it without her.”
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