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When 19-year-old Lanita Jacobs tragically died from complications of dengue fever, staff at the Sadie Public Hospital knew they had to do everything they could to save her child’s life.
Baby Liam was born at 35 weeks of gestation, weighing 2,050 grams. He was born via emergency caesarean section.
After spending 23 days in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where he received round-the-clock care from a dedicated staff and benefited from modern equipment installed earlier this year at the Region 2 facility, he was discharged Saturday and is now in the care of his father, Kevin Brummel.
During his hospital stay, Liam developed complications from dengue and sepsis and received multiple transfusions, including five platelet transfusions, five fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions, and one black cell (PC) transfusion.
By the time he was released from hospital, Liam’s infection was gone and doctors were pleased with the results of his blood work and believed he was ready to go home with his dad.
Dr. Kalesh Latchminarine, director of neonatology and pediatrician, praised the team’s tireless efforts to ensure Liam’s survival.
The dedicated team caring for the “premature baby” included Dr. Lachminarine, Dr. Yelena Acosta, Dr. Azaria Luque, nurses from the Cuban Brigade and Guyanese nurse Alicia Bell.
In an interview with the publication, Dr. Rachminarine highlighted the many challenges Liam faced. These included respiratory distress that required non-invasive respiratory support. Despite these obstacles, the team was impressed by Liam’s resilience and the unique way he expressed his needs.
His mother was eight months pregnant when she was admitted to hospital on June 26, 2024, with severe bleeding and suspected dengue fever. Tests later confirmed that she had contracted the mosquito-borne disease.
Her condition worsened, leading to her being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where she later died.
An ecstatic Kevin Brummel said he was grateful and relieved to have his son home despite the loss of his wife.
He thanked the hospital staff, especially Dr. Rachminarin and the team for their hard work.
Meanwhile, district health officer Dr Ranjeev Singh said the neonatal intensive care unit will continue to provide support to mothers and babies.
He stressed that the government has invested millions of dollars to equip the neonatal unit with adequate resources to save the lives of babies.
Despite the many complications Liam faced, Dr. Singh expressed satisfaction with the team’s ability to care for him.
Since it opened in January this year, the NICU has admitted 41 babies.
Earlier this month, Dr Singh strongly refuted the opposition’s allegations that the gynaecology and neonatology departments at Saddi Hospital were dysfunctional.
Opposition MP Dr Karen Cummings claimed at a news conference that some services provided by the agency were woefully inadequate, leading to high rates of neonatal mortality, without providing any concrete evidence. She also made unfounded allegations about staffing in the department.
However, the RHO insists that the information provided to the media by Dr Cummings was not only false but a blatant attempt to tarnish the good reputation of the staff and the hospital.
He even shared statistics, insisting that the NICU was functioning well and had the staff and equipment needed to handle critical cases.
Little Liam’s story of survival is testament to the unit’s ability to effectively care for all newborns in distress.
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