Help Bowen live his best life!

This is the story of Bowen Holanda:

He is our miracle.

Bowen was born Feb 25, 2019 at 11:13 PM in Jackson Hole, WY. He was born blue, with two stiff arms at his side, floppy legs and a still, lifeless body - every parent’s worst nightmare. 


Bowen was born with what is called HIE (Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy) which is a birth injury that results in brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation and limited blood flow. He had also suffered a perinatal stroke during birth, had severe acidosis and was succumbing to a subgaleal hemorrhage which would not clot (bleeding in his head).

“Why isn’t my baby crying?” my wife screamed over and over in the minutes after he was born. This horrific moment is seared into memory.

The attending pediatrician immediately began working on Bowen. She bagged him and began breathing for him for 25 minutes until they were able to intubate him. There was no NICU at the hospital we were in and it was evident that Bowen needed care above what was available there. He needed to be transported to a level 3 NICU immediately. The calls went out to organize the transport to Idaho Falls, about 90 miles away. This was all taking place during a record breaking snowstorm, making travel almost impossible This would go down as one of the biggest storms in the previous ten years in Jackson Hole.

The only plane that could get to us was coming from Salt Lake City. We waited and waited and waited for them to come. And finally they did! 


Meanwhile, Bowen was put into a hypothermic state (called therapeutic hypothermia or neonatal cooling) in an attempt to minimize the brain damage. 


My wife was able to touch his arm briefly but was never able to hold her son on the day he was born. Instead she watched him, sedated, covered in wires and tubes, leave the hospital with her husband having no idea what would happen next.


Sirens could be heard in the background as the sheriffs sped through the snow to the airport.

Amidst tears, fear, and uncertainty, we took off just as two large snowplows cleared the runway directly ahead of us. The pilot calmly let me know that this was nothing compared to his time in Iraq or Afghanistan. He assured me he would get me and my boy there safe. 

We arrive at EIMRC (the hospital in Idaho Falls) and the team began their work immediately.  

The next few weeks were incredibly intense and too detailed to share here, but in short: 

The first 24-48 hours our son was clinging to life. He had had blood transfusions for the acidosis, was sedated and intubated and being cooled to treat his brain injury.  The doctors and nurses (our heroes) we’re doing everything they could, but still things were not going well. The bleeding in our sons head was not stopping. 

The second night an emergency procedure was done to insert an IJ line into Bowen’s neck artery and to his heart. Performing a procedure such as this on a baby is extremely risky. But it was our only chance for his survival. The team was successful and Bowen was given the blood products he desperately needed for the blood to clot in his head. Over the next few days the bleeding slowly came to a stop. 

This amazing news brought great relief but we weren’t out of the woods and soon we learned that Bowen was having seizures. An MRI confirmed the stroke. And the doctors began tackling the next task, to stop the seizures. 

Over time he stabilized. On day 7 of his life my wife was finally able to hold him. And then hold him again, and then his eyes opened, and then I was able to hold him, and then family was able to touch his hands, and one morning, he cried. One morning he finally cried and that was the most glorious day.

That day we began to speak about Bowen’s plans for life.  Yes his LIFE.

After 18 days in the NICU we went home. Our son and our family survived and we came home.

We have a very long road ahead. We are on this journey together with Bowen and we will be there with him every stop of the way. 


Our life now consists of regular visits to neurologists and EEGs to monitor seizure activity, ongoing weekly (and sometimes more frequent) occupational and physical therapy. Follow-ups and treatment plans.


We still do not know the full scope of what the outcome will be for Bowen. We do know how likely his injuries are to result in a diagnosis such as Cerebral Palsy. But rather than focusing on this, we focus on all that Bowen CAN DO and all of the progress he is making! We are taking one day at a time and really nothing else matters because our son is ALIVE. He is a fighter and he is our miracle.
 
As we look toward the future, we know the financial strains placed upon us for his ongoing treatment will be significant. In our difficult time, we humbly ask for your help.

With any proceeds we may raise, it will help ensure Bowen has the best chance to lead his best life. We are committed to doing everything we can to help our son overcome, as much as possible, the tough hand he’s been dealt.  

Not only will this money go towards procedures and therapy, but also to those who saved Bowen. Without the amazing work of the medical staff at EIRMC, our son would not be here today. We are forever grateful they saved our son’s life and no words could ever describe our gratitude. With any remaining money, we would love to give back to the heroes that will never be forgotten.

Please share and tell this story of survival and of hope!

With love and regards
Jay Holanda and family.