Staff Celebrate Birth of Twins in ER One Year Ago

On the morning of October 31, 2014 a young woman rushed through the Emergency Room doors of Decatur County Hospital (DCH) shouting, “I’m think I’m in labor!” Seairra Stephenson, the expectant mother, was pregnant with twins and scheduled for an OB appointment later that morning in Des Moines; she did not make it.

With contractions starting earlier that morning and being only twenty-eight weeks pregnant, Seairra knew Des Moines was just too far away and she had to get to the nearest hospital, which was DCH. Seairra was evaluated by the ER provider within two minutes of arrival. The neonatal intensive care transport team from Des Moines was notified immediately and two specialized teams were dispatched by helicopter and ambulance but neither arrived before both babies were safely born.

At 10:45 a.m. a three pound three ounce baby boy was born and his three pound thirteen ounce twin brother was born at 11:55 a.m. Although the babies were premature they were born alive and seemingly healthy. Of course this journey was not quite over for Seairra and her boys. The babies were transported to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Des Moines for further evaluation, and Seairra reunited with them later that night.

One year later, Seairra, her mother, Angelique, and the two boys, Kyler Jax and Syler Jakoby, are gathered back in the same room where the boys were born. Nurses and other staff gathered around them reminiscing about that special day the twin babies were born and very happy to see two perfectly healthy boys. Seairra is holding one boy and Angelique is holding the other.

Recollections of the birth brought an emotional response from the staff, mom, and grandma. The twins were very lucky to have chosen that particular day to be born. It just happened to be a staff training day, so the hospital was full of nurses and doctors. Angelique says with tears in her eyes, “I do not know what we would have done without you, without the hospital being so close. I cannot thank you enough for saving my babies and my daughter.”

Seairra’s story is memorable for the hospital and its employees although it is not entirely unique. In the last year DCH encountered seven OB emergencies, four of which resulted in unavoidable emergency deliveries at DCH. Being a critical access hospital (CAH) it is very difficult to maintain obstetrical services with the low volumes of deliveries so DCH discontinued its OB services several years ago. However, DCH health care professionals are trained to provide emergency obstetrical and neonatal care in situations like this.

Like other rural hospitals, DCH works jointly with physicians and other health care professionals to provide safe and effective care in the communities they serve. Suzanne Cooner, CEO of DCH, said, “This is just one example of why it’s so important to maintain a critical access hospital in our community. It could literally mean the difference between life and death when immediate access to emergency care becomes necessary.” For Seairra, having DCH so close was a “lifesaver,” marking the beginning of a new chapter of life and hope for her and her two baby boys.