The first graders in Dominique’s
elementary school class could not even imagine that their bright
and gregarious teacher was once small enough to fit into
the palm of her father’s hand.
In 1977, Dominique was born weighing an
astonishing
1 pound. She was immediately rushed to Texas
Children’s Hospital where she was essentially dead on arrival. She had stopped breathing.
“We resuscitated
Dominique and placed her on a breathing machine for a period of
time,” said Dr. Michael Speer,
neonatologist and medical director of quality and outcomes
management department. “We finally got her off the machine, but
then she stopped breathing again and we’d have to help her.”
Dominique’s
father panicked every time she stopped breathing. “The doctors
told my father that it was just like filling an inner tube up with
air,” said Dominique. “They pumped me up and then both my lungs
were fine.”
The doctors also
were concerned that Dominique had water on the brain. Fortunately
for Dominique, the CAT scan, developed in the mid 1970s, had
recently been installed in the
neonatal intensive care unit. A
CAT scan was performed on her and the results came back negative. Things were looking up; she now had one less hurdle to overcome.
“Dominique was a
fighter, she came through this in style,” said Dr.
Speer.
“As time went on, I got fatter and opened my
eyes a little bit,” said Dominique. “I finally was able to go
home, but then I relapsed with bronchial pneumonia. I had to go
back to Texas Children’s for two more months before I could go
home permanently.”
“Dominique is one of the reasons why all of
us in neonatology are in neonatology – to help small babies like
her reach their potential,” said Dr.
Speer.
Dominique went on to have an incredible
life. She graduated with a master’s degree and is a teacher who
is well-respected and admired. She will forever be grateful to
the people of Texas Children’s Hospital who helped her through all
those difficult months.
“They saved
my life. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them,” said
Dominique. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them – they’re
miracle workers.”
