"We knew that place was right here at Sanford Children’s after meeting Dr. Casas."Our contact with Sanford Children's pediatric surgeon Dr. Adela Casas-Melley did not start the day that Katy was born. Instead, we met Dr Casas during the early stages of my pregnancy. After Katy's diagnosis at 15 weeks gestation, we were referred to Dr. Jeffrey Boyle, a Perinatologist at Sanford, and began looking at our care options. We were prepared to go anywhere to receive the best care for our baby girl. We knew that place was right here at Sanford Children's after meeting Dr. Casas. Katy was born on a Tuesday and had her first surgery by Dr. Casas to repair an omphalocele, which is a herniation of the liver and intestines, that same day. Due to Katy's continued fragile state, Katy's second surgery, which was performed on the following Thursday, was also performed by Dr. Casas in her room. During this time period, Katy received one-to-one care from a registered nurse around the clock. We truly believe our Katy received the best care possible during her stay in the Boekelheide NICU. We affectionately nicknamed Dr. Casas "Our Living Angel"; her extraordinary compassion and expertise made a world of difference for all of us during a very stressful time for our family. Katy's mom, Amy G. |
