Jasmin Napier Medical

No one wants to see their child sick or in pain, Robert and Mary Napier are no different.  Their world was turned upside down on July 21, 2017 when their twelve-year-old daughter, Jasmin Napier, was admitted into Wolfson Children’s Hospital.  Jasmin is the youngest of Robert and Mary’s four children. Shortly after her arrival to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Jasmin was put on a ventilator and entered a medically induced coma. She is fighting for her life. The doctors were unsuccessful at quickly identifying an exact diagnosis.  They only knew that blood clots ravished her little body, a bacteria was detected in her blood and that she had an extremely high, uncontrollable fever. Many doctors collaborated and multiple tests were performed.  After several attempts, and by use of a cooling blanket, they were finally able to break Jasmin’s fever. However, the bacteria eluded the doctors and in turn this delayed direct treatment. During the early hours of July 26th, Jasmin’s oxygen levels became a concern and they quickly determined that her lungs had developed fluid and blood was also present. One of her lungs collapsed. Her heart was also under an extreme amount of stress.  The doctors decided to put her on a bypass machine. The bypass temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of her body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were contacted and they too tested the bacteria in her blood. Their results took three full days but they determined the name of the bacteria. The Napier family had answers, or so they thought. Although the CDC had provided a name, they did not have much information about this strand of bacteria. Jasmin’s parents were asked and signed a release to allow her to be included in a case study to learn more about this specific form of bacteria. The bypass provided her body relief, but it was a devastating sight for Robert, Mary and the rest of her family. She became extremely swollen and red.  The doctors assured them that this was normal. Jasmin was in stable condition none-the-less. Her paralysis medication was reduced for a limited time.  This was to allow the doctors to see a response from her and to evaluate brain activity.  After about 20 minutes, Jasmin was able to squeeze Mary’s hand and even nodded in response to the question she was asked. Jasmin is at risk for a stroke due to the blood clots present. The medication administered to break up the blood clots is not working as expected. The second time the paralysis medication was reduced, it took her a little longer to respond. She became agitated and struggled to go back under sedation.  On Sunday, July 30th Jasmin took another step backwards.  She had to have surgery on one of her legs.  The doctors are running more tests because they are not sure if the bacteria in her leg is related. Jasmin has been very agitated the past few days. They have had to change her pain medication to something a little stronger to make her more comfortable. Her blood pressure is also up. They are now giving her blood transfusions multiple times a day to increase her platelet count.  Her muscles are starting to deteriorate and this is a major concern. The Napier family is experiencing recurrent mixed negative and positive emotions. They are on an emotional roller coaster that consists of hope and gratitude, but also fatigue and frustration and fear of flares.