Molly’s grandmother has always held a special place in her heart. She recalls wonderful summers spent with her grandmother, siblings and cousins shopping, eating candy and reading good books.
“My grandmother was always the life of any family gathering, and she was also someone I could talk to about anything and everything.”
Fast forward years later, their special bond only grew stronger as Molly and her husband, Will Shields, prepared to welcome their very first baby. This was just in time for Molly’s grandmother to, at least, see the baby since she’d been very ill for some time.
“Everyone, including my grandmother, was so excited when we announced our pregnancy. Our baby would be the first grandchild on the paternal side and first grandson on the maternal side.”
Yet, this sweet time was not without complications. From the start, Molly had a challenging pregnancy.
“It was a rough and rocky pregnancy with scary issues up front,” says Molly.
Subchorionic Hematoma in Pregnancy
In the first trimester, Molly was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma, which is a large blood clot, caused by the pooling of blood between the chorion, a membrane surrounding the embryo, and the uterine wall. It increases the risk of miscarriage in patients with vaginal bleeding.
Since Molly experienced bleeding and the blood clot was bigger than the baby at that time, Molly’s providers recommended she reduce her activity level. By the end of the first trimester, it self-resolved.
Molly says, “We were told that it could be risky, so I had to take it very, very easy. It was stressful.”
Gratefully, as they entered the second trimester, everything calmed down. Their baby grew as expected, and Molly began to relax and enjoy being pregnant, until she rounded into the third trimester and things went haywire again.
Molly says, “Our baby was due May 28, and about a week prior, I was sent to the maternity emergency department because my blood pressure was really high. I was diagnosed with gestational hypertension, which had gotten progressively worse. I also had severe iron deficiency.”
Despite the complications, their baby had a strong heart rate and was very active in utero.
Molly says, “In ultrasounds, he looked great. We could see his funny faces and even found out that he had hair.”
Gestational Hypertension
Gestational hypertension is serious. It can lead to placental abruption, when the placenta pulls away from the uterus too early; seizures; stillbirth; poor fetal growth; and even death of the mother and baby. With potential complications in mind, Molly’s providers decided she should be scheduled for an induction. They told her to go home, pack her bags and return to the hospital to prepare for the birth of their son.
“We knew I had to be induced, but we weren’t worried because he was a healthy size.”
A Challenging Delivery
Once in the hospital, they prepared for the birth of their son. While they started out optimistic, over the hours of labor and active pushing, they began to feel concerned.
“It was our first baby. We were nervous and didn’t know what to expect. With more than three hours of active pushing, it was very intense. The doctor delivering our child informed us that since our son was not coming out, our options were a c-section or vacuum. With 30 seconds to decide, we went the vacuum route.”
While the risk of vacuum-assisted deliveries is relatively low at just 5%, possible complications include cephalohematomas, facial nerve palsies, scalp lacerations, intracranial hemorrhage, subgaleal hematomas, hyperbilirubinemia and retinal hemorrhage. Considering the Shields’ case, the mother was in distress, so even with the slight risks, the vacuum-assisted delivery was a solid option.
Teddy is Born
On May 21, 2021, after months of challenging complications and a difficult labor and delivery, their son, Teddy Shields, entered the world.
Molly says, “He was amazing, beautiful and active, measuring 20.5 inches and 7 pounds 10 ounces. We told him we were so proud of him for enduring such a crazy labor. He was so smart, chirping and imitating the sounds of the machines in the delivery room. He was ready to go home right away, but we stayed in the hospital for a few days because my iron levels were still very low.
Five days into their hospital stay, with Molly’s iron levels and blood pressure under control and baby Teddy demonstrating normal infant behavior, the care team sent the family home. The next day, while Molly and her husband sat in the bonus room feeding Teddy, things once again went awry.
“Teddy went limp and wouldn’t open his eyes or make a sound. It was the scariest thing we’d ever seen. We called 911. We were trying to do CPR. Suddenly, he started screaming, and seconds later, the fire department got there. Teddy was still crying but had not yet opened his eyes. The ambulance arrived, but they had to wait for newborn-sized equipment to transport him to the hospital.
“Once they got Teddy loaded into the ambulance, I grabbed my purse, and we hopped into the ambulance.”
The Family is Introduced to the Wake Way at the WakeMed Children’s Emergency Department
Concerned for Teddy’s well-being, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transported Teddy to the WakeMed Children’sEmergency Department where the family was introduced to the specialized care available for the tiniest WakeMed patients.
At first, the care team thought it may be indigestion since Teddy was feeding at the time of catatonic symptom onset, but one of the attendings suggested a head ultrasound.
Molly says, “Not long after the ultrasound, we were informed that Teddy had a serious brain bleed. We were beyond shocked. We had no idea what could have caused this. We were devastated.”
Molly says, “He hugged us which meant so much. We didn’t know what the diagnosis meant or what was going to happen to our son. Would he be okay? Would he be with us? Would his quality of life be different?”
Dr. Sullivan was very supportive and listened to their concerns, reassuring them that this rare condition often does not lead to long-term issues. The care team also called in pediatric specialists within the WakeMed team and a pediatric neurosurgeon and other pediatric specialists from other hospitals. They tested Teddy using CT scans and blood tests to check for complications and genetic blood disorders (which were ruled out). Yet, more concerning news came in.
Molly says, “We found out not only was there a bleed but also a clot. These are two different conditions, so if we treated one, it would make the other worse. The decision was made not to medicate for either. Then, we waited to find out where in the brain these issues were. We wondered if it would affect his personality or motor function.
“Teddy was this tiny little guy hooked up to all these machines and an IV. Neither of us are criers, but we cried more than we ever cried in our entire lives. It was terrifying.”
Though Molly and William’s family couldn’t be with them in the hospital, their parents flew to Raleigh to be nearby. Molly’s grandmother, who could not be in person, was there in spirit and called to check on the family.
Molly says, “I clearly remember her being so emotional and saying how much she loved us and how she was praying for us and knew we would be okay.”
An Emergency Baptism
John Sullivan, MD
Settled into their Pediatric ICU (PICU) room, Molly and her husband decided that as devout Catholics they wanted to do an emergency baptism for Teddy. To their surprise, they learned that Dr. Sullivan was Catholic. He introduced the couple to the Roman Catholic Priest for WakeMed, Lourduraj Alapaty.
Dr. Sullivan stood in as the god parent for Teddy’s baptism while Alapaty officiated.
Molly says, “He was Teddy’s original godfather and came to the full ceremonial emergency baptism in the room. We were so lucky to have that because we needed it
Lourduraj Alapaty
on a personal level, a faith level and for Teddy. When I was a baby, I was emergency baptized. I was in the hospital with my mom for a couple weeks after I was born. I’m happy and healthy and here today, so we felt it was important for our Catholic faith. We wanted the comfort that Teddy was in God’s hands.
“Father Alapaty and Dr. Sullivan really gave us faith because Teddy turned a corner soon thereafter, and we really believe that the baptism was part of that.”
Good News
Before long, Dr. Sullivan had good news.
Molly says, “He came in all boisterous with a smile on his face. He told us both the clot and the bleed were in an area of free space in the brain that didn’t control any of Teddy’s functions. It was the best news we could possibility get.
“We knew then that his future was not going to be impacted in a serious way. Everyone dreams of having a happy, health baby. When faced with something that could change that, it is heartbreaking, terrifying, scary, with a lot of unknowns.”
The care team decided it would be best to wait to see if Teddy’s conditions would self-resolve. During that time, Sally McMurry, the WakeMed pediatrics family navigator, regularly came into their room to offer reassurance and items of support.
Sally says, “Teddy was just a few days old and admitted into the PICU for neurological issues. Pretty scary stuff for these first-time parents. We did all we could to make them as comfortable as possible.”
Molly also recalls those members of the care team who provided meals, brought books for her to read to Teddy and wheeled her around the hospital, since she, just six days postpartum at the start of the hospital stay, was still recovering herself and now in a great deal of distress.
Molly says, “Sally and so many others helped us survive this terrifying time. As the days went on, Teddy began to show improvements.”
Once it was clear that the clot and brain bleed were resolving, the family was transferred to a different room and prepared for discharge. Hospitalist Andrea Honeycutt, MD and others checked on the family prior to their departure.
Fast Forward to Today
Today, Teddy is thriving, and his parents still keep in touch with Dr. Sullivan. In fact, Dr. Sullivan was in attendance for Teddy’s first birthday rodeo on Saturday, May 21, 2022.
Molly says, “We were told that Teddy could play all the normal sports, and my husband and I both agreed no contact sports, just tennis, soccer, track, etc. We are thrilled Teddy is the happiest, healthiest, smartest little guy. He is doing so well developmentally. We couldn’t be luckier.”
One year cake smash session
A Gift to WakeMed
In honor of the care they received at WakeMed both from WakeMed pediatric physicians and those called in to assist, the family desired to make donations to demonstrate their gratitude.
Sally says, “The Shields reached out, and we coordinated a small event for Teddy’s extended family to meet the team for a delivery of toys and books in honor of Teddy’s first birthday. Molly and Will also donated a large monetary sum to the WakeMed Foundation in honor of Teddy’s great-grandmother who had recently passed away. All donations were coming to us for PICU use. We are so grateful for the family’s thoughtfulness and generosity.”
The Shields wanted to donate to other families who found themselves in a similar position as this young family — in the hospital, unsure about the future, unprepared for a long stay and in need of basic necessities and support.
Molly says, “We want to help families like ours who popped into the back of an ambulance without toiletries, clothes, a bag or anything to sustain them, yet couldn’t bear to go home and leave a precious baby in the hospital.
Molly could think of no more meaningful way to leave that gentle act of kindness than through the legacy of her grandmother who’d meant so much to her and who had only enjoyed video calls with Teddy.
Molly says, “My grandmother, Helene Josephine Smith, passed away in April 2022. She was 89, and Teddy was 10 and a half months. Before she passed, we got to chat with her. She had been pretty sick, but she rallied to have one, final video call with Teddy with much of the family at her bedside. It was as though she was healthy again for just a few minutes, laughing and joking about the wild baby food combination my husband was feeding Teddy.”
“My dad and my aunts were all discussing a way to honor my grandmother’s legacy and immediately thought of the hospital that had helped Teddy. They wanted to give other families the comforts of home. Our family was able to provide a couple hundred books, toiletries, snacks, baby toys and teethers thanks to generous monetary donations from family, friends and church members. We’ve been talking about it, and we are sure my grandma is dancing in heaven loving this.”
“My grandmother was nicknamed the ‘cardinal’ of the family for all her funny and heartfelt life advice she’d regularly share. In Catholicism, the cardinal is very high ranking, not quite the Pope but pretty far up there! On the back of each donation, we placed a cardinal sticker, designed by my aunt, so her legacy of love would live on.”
About WakeMed Children’s Hospital
WakeMed Children’s Hospital is proud to be the only pediatric inpatient care provider in Wake County, caring for thousands of babies and children each year and always providing the highest level of care and caring to our youngest patients.
WakeMed Children’s Hospital unites pediatric specialists, and the specialized services they offer, under one roof to ensure area families have access to the care they need and deserve.
Fast forward years later, their special bond only grew stronger as Molly and her husband, Will Shields, prepared to welcome their very first baby. This was just in time for Molly’s grandmother to, at least, see the baby since she’d been very ill for some time.
Dr. Sullivan was very supportive and listened to their concerns, reassuring them that this rare condition often does not lead to long-term issues. The care team also called in pediatric specialists within the WakeMed team and a pediatric neurosurgeon and other pediatric specialists from other hospitals. They tested Teddy using CT scans and blood tests to check for complications and genetic blood disorders (which were ruled out). Yet, more concerning news came in.
The Shields wanted to donate to other families who found themselves in a similar position as this young family — in the hospital, unsure about the future, unprepared for a long stay and in need of basic necessities and support.“My dad and my aunts were all discussing a way to honor my grandmother’s legacy and immediately thought of the hospital that had helped Teddy. They wanted to give other families the comforts of home. Our family was able to provide a couple hundred books, toiletries, snacks, baby toys and teethers thanks to generous monetary donations from family, friends and church members. We’ve been talking about it, and we are sure my grandma is dancing in heaven loving this.”
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