Patient Testimonial - Stacy Barter

Stacy Barter was having a routine check-up with her obstetrician, Robert Caffrey, MD, on January 10, 2008.  Pregnant and carrying twins, Stacy wasn’t anticipating delivering her precious cargo just yet—until a non-stress test showed during the appointment that she was dilated to 5 centimeters and baby Tanner was in a breach position.  Her doctor quickly made arrangements for 33-year-old Stacy to be admitted to Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence for an unscheduled C-section.

“About 30 minutes after leaving my doctor’s office I was in the labor and delivery room at Centerpoint,” says Stacy.  “I didn’t feel panicked.  It was a smooth transition due to the efficient and compassionate staff at the hospital.”

Stacy welcomed daughter Tanner, 4 pounds and 13 ounces and son Thomas, 5 pounds and 6 ounces without incident. Her tiny and fragile preemies were immediately admitted to Centerpoint’s Level III NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), the only one in eastern Jackson County, for round-the-clock monitoring.  Tanner, termed a “feeder and grower” needed nourishment to hit the five-pound mark while her brother Thomas was put on a ventilator to assist his lungs while they continued to form.

That cold winter day marked the Barters second encounter with the Centerpoint Medical Center team. Stacy delivered a set of twins at 24 weeks in 2007 at the former Medical Center of Independence (MCI).  Many of the MCI nurses transferred to Centerpoint when it opened in May 2008.  The babies lived only a short time, but Stacy says the intimate relationships she and husband Phillip forged with the MCI NICU nurses were special and lasting.  The couple was thrilled when they recognized many of the same nurses in the NICU at Centerpoint.

“The staff rode the emotional rollercoaster with Phillip and me at MCI,” says Stacy.  “They’re human, too, and seeing their highs and lows along with ours was really important.  We felt like we were back with family at Centerpoint.”

The Barters spent the next 28 days at Centerpoint’s NICU, cheering Tanner on for 10 days while she bulked up and was discharged to go home and keeping vigil over Thomas as he went on and off a ventilator and was administered oxygen for the first two weeks to stabilize erratic breathing.  Once he didn’t require the breathing apparatus, the nurses and doctors concentrated on Thomas’s natural ability to eat and grow.

Stacy remembers the first time she and Phillip were able to touch and handle Thomas, 10 days following the baby’s birth.  Nurses and therapists rallied a team of people so the couple could interact safely with Thomas. “It was a tender moment,” says Stacy.  “Phillip’s a big guy at 6 feet 5 inches tall and 300 pounds.  The nurses encouraged him to work with Thomas and even tossed him in there pretty quickly to change diapers.”

“I had no opportunity to be apprehensive about touching my small children,” agrees Phillip.

Tanner and Thomas are now thriving and according to Stacy, the size of very healthy two year-old children.  The Barters participate in a Centerpoint NICU support group where they share their experience, strength and hope with other parents of premature babies. 

“We offer encouragement so parents looking at a four-pound baby indeed know they can make it through the NICU experience,” says Stacy.  “Thanks to Centerpoint, we have a tale of survival.”