A Redeemer Baby Generational Story

Although it was something she never expected, Nancy Passehl gained a new “family” of support in the form of Redeemer Health’s NICU team when six months into her pregnancy she felt extremely uncomfortable.

The date was October 27, 1989. A terrified Nancy was rushed to Holy Redeemer Hospital, where she learned that she was about to have her baby three months early. Later that day, Nancy’s baby daughter, Jamie, was born at two pounds eight ounces and immediately admitted to the NICU.

Jamie required intensive treatment for almost two months, and much like a lot of premature babies requiring intensive care, she experienced several ups and downs. At one point, her weight dropped to one pound 14 ounces, and for Nancy, this was an indescribable emotional roller coaster.

Although Jamie was in the NICU, Nancy says that “the NICU staff was with me each step of the way. They made me feel very comfortable, and I knew that Jamie was in good hands.”

Thankfully, Jamie and Nancy benefitted from not only the expertise and compassion of the Holy Redeemer Hospital NICU staff, but also from the NICU’s access to advanced medications.

As a result of Jamie’s early arrival, she was born with respiratory distress syndrome, a disease that occurs because the lungs have not produced enough surfactant. Surfactant is a mixture of fat and proteins made in the lungs that coats the alveoli (the air sacs in the lungs where oxygen enters the body), preventing the lungs from sticking together and collapsing. Jamie Marie was given a life-saving drug called Infasurf, a replacement lung surfactant, which was administered through an endotracheal tube.

After nearly two months in the NICU, and growing up healthy and happy, Jamie Di Domizio just became a mother herself! Jamie delivered her son on November 2, 2021, and she now has a healthy Redeemer Baby, Romeo Patrick.

Because of the care she herself received in Holy Redeemer Hospital’s NICU, Jamie, now 32 years old, says, “expectant mothers receive a top-notch level of care, and the maternity staff is bar none. I felt very comfortable delivering a Redeemer Baby at Holy Redeemer Hospital.”

Becoming a mother is one of the most rewarding –and sometimes challenging –experiences a woman can encounter. Redeemer Health is honored to be such an important partner in the lives of Nancy, Jamie, and her son.

As with Nancy and Jamie, our caring and compassionate Redeemer family often has the distinct honor to nurture the health and well-being of generations of parents and children. We want to hear your story! Share with us how Redeemer Health has provided care and comfort to you and your family over the years.