Department of Neurology
Sometimes hope is the answer
After an ultrasound performed just three weeks before her due date, Sara Reichert and her husband, Bill, of Quincy learned that their baby had excessive fluid on her brain. The Reicherts were immediately referred to St. John's where Sara underwent additional testing. Sara and Bill also met with Andre Bieniarz, MD, chief of the division of maternal-fetal medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
Sara says there were no clear answers. "We were told that our baby may be fine or may not survive birth depending on the severity of the condition and the results of chromosome studies," recalls Sara.
That was a Friday. The Reicherts went home to Quincy to wait. Over the weekend, they told friends the news. During the course of conversation, the name Hope was suggested. "We knew immediately that it was the right name," says Sara. "Hope was all we had at that point."
The following Tuesday, Sara went into labor. Hope not only survived birth, she showed signs of being a perfectly healthy infant. "She was just beautiful and angelic," says Victoria McCrory, RN, a Birth Center nurse who cared for the family.
However, Hope's prognosis was still up in the air. Soon after her birth, she was examined by pediatric neurologist Hossam AbdelSalam, MD, assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at SIU School of Medicine. "A head ultrasound showed agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), which is absence of the nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain," says Dr. AbdelSalam. "The effects of ACC range from subtle to severe depending on associated brain abnormalities. To better outline the development of Hope's brain, an MRI was performed. It showed isolated Pediatric neurologist Hossam AbdelSalam, MD, SIU School of Medicine, examines one-month-old Hope Reichert. ACC without any other major malformations, which was very good news."
When Hope was four weeks old, the Reicherts returned to the SIU Child Neurology Clinic at St. John's Children's Hospital for a follow-up appointment with Dr. AbdelSalam. He gave Hope a complete physical examination and found her reflexes, sucking and other indicators to be totally normal. Hope will continue to be followed by the Child Neurology Clinic to monitor her development.
"We are overjoyed," says Sara. "And we can't say enough about the wonderful care we received at St. John's Children's Hospital. "Everyone from the nursing staff to the doctors were absolutely phenomenal."