Tabitha Machart Forcier
My name is Wilda Croxton and my daughter is Tabitha Machart Forcier. She was born June 30, 1996. She was a normal healthy little girl. She started getting sick with colds,
flues, and pneumonia’s when she was about 1 ½ years old. Her chest started to collapse and with some fighting with doctors, we found one that agreed that
there was something we needed to do. So she had her first surgery in October of 1998. They reconstructed her rib cage. We had hope that would be it but she did not get any better, in fact she got worse. She was finally hospitalized in January of 1999 with pneumonia. Her respiratory rate was in the 80’s and 90’s and heart rate 170’s
- 200. With many test such as bronchs and lung function tests she was diagnosed with
bronchomalcia, thoracodystrophy, respiratory in sufficiency, apnea, reflux, aspiration, and reoccurring pneumonia. She had a
G-tube put in due to poor weight. Also a portocath because they had such a hard time drawing blood or putting in IV’s. They actually had to knock her out to these things. She also was diagnosed as having MH malignant hypothermia- allergic to
anesthesia. Which made surgery risky. We almost lost Tabby several time due to complications. I stayed with her the whole
time; was not willing to leave. Along with her stepfather Max and her grandparents (Pat and Ellie) we made sure she was never alone, during the six months in the hospital. Tabby’s lungs were giving out and her body was just getting to tired from having to fight so hard to breath. They did tried C-Pap machine with a mask and that help, but not enough. So we had to decide whether to trach her or bring her home to live out her life. So March 24 she was
trached. After a very long hospital stay (6 months) she was well enough to go home. I have to say not with out a lot of teaching from the doctors on how to take care of her. Trach changes,
Porto-cath care, GT-Tube care and learning all about the ventilator. They said that her chance of making it were small because her lungs we badly damaged and the
malasia was so bad. High-pressure support of 18 and peep of 16. We got her home with nursing and equipment all ready for her. I remember I was terrified, not knowing what to expect. She would turn blue and stop breathing and I would bag her. I did not sleep for at least the first year it felt like. The hardest thing to learn was how to treat her like she was not sick. Treating her just like I would my other kids. To remain calm when she would stop breathing or have a hard time. When she sees me scared and
panicking she would get worse. So I was willing to try to change, so when she stopped breathing I remained calm and sat with her. I took her to the park everyday, took her outside, got her on a bike, and put her in wagon and took her every where I went. She started getting better. So I have to say after over three years she has had many surgeries but only one hospitalization for pneumonia this last March. She beat the odds and is doing really well 12 procedures and 14 surgeries later. When she does get sick we now just treat her at home. She just had a bar put in to see if we can help make her chest grow,
the nuss procedure. She is vent dependent with a pressure of 14 and peep of 12. Tabitha is an amazing strong little girl who gives me so much hope and strength everyday. She handles things with so much grace. She lives a normal life considering that she has a machine that goes wherever she goes. She is going to kindergarten this year and loves to ride a bike and play out side. Usually, we cannot keep her
down, always on the go. Tabby has a stepsister Kari who is also 6 and a brother Kody who will be 2. Life is very busy and
Tabitha is doing well right now. She has been home now for over three years. No idea when she may get off ventilator, but we have a lot of hope that some day maybe she will be able to get off machine at least during the day… We love to meet and talk with other families who have kids on a vent.
Update April, 2005: So just a update on Tabby, Doing very well, sprinting off machine a few hours
a day, doing very well in school, this year we have been going four wheeling a
lot and tabby is a little speedy. New pictures of last summers "Make a
Wish" to Florida, she had a blast. Tabbys mom Wilda
Wilda Croxton
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