What started as a fun outing to Shelby County for a young, pregnant couple from Kentucky turned into a life-threatening nightmare for both the mom and baby.
With his wife, Krystal, cleared to travel by her regular OB/GYN, Ronnie Bennett bought tickets for them for the Country Concert in Fort Loramie. A big Sam Hunt fan, Krystal was looking forward to seeing him perform live; both she and Ronnie were excited to take a mini-vacation before the birth of their baby in a couple of weeks.
Unfortunately, the crowded conditions at the concert weren’t what the couple had expected, so they left. But they already had a babysitter for their other children, as well as a hotel room for the night, so they decided to stay and see some of the sights in Sidney.
After enjoying Tawawa Park and eating at the Spot, Krystal thought her water had broken, but quickly saw that it was blood. Ronnie searched online for the nearest hospital, and the anxious couple pulled up to Wilson Health’s emergency department at 12:46 p.m. Krystal was hemorrhaging and time was critical. Dr. Julie Ressler and the labor and delivery team rushed her to the operating room and delivered Marshall Jaxson at 1:04 p.m.
Krystal had suffered a placental abruption and lost a lot of blood; the baby also lost blood and had experienced decreased oxygen. He was transferred to Dayton Children’s Hospital but his outlook was bleak. His doctor wasn’t sure he’d survive, and if he did, was convinced he’d have severe deficits.
The labor and delivery team at Wilson Health felt terrible for the couple. Going through something so traumatic, far away from family and friends, was unthinkable. So nurse Carrie Schoen and Dr. Ressler made it their mission to “adopt” the Bennetts and make them feel like family. Ressler even bought the couples’ Country Concert tickets from them, knowing she couldn’t go because she was on call that weekend.
Baby Marshall continued to struggle a week after he was born. But when he was 28 days old, he was discharged to go home because he had made a miraculous recovery. He no longer requires oxygen or tube feedings, and his latest MRI showed no signs of brain damage.
Recently, the couple returned to Sidney; this time for a six-week checkup, and to thank Ressler and the entire Wilson Health family for caring without limits. Even though Krystal and Ronnie didn’t choose to end up at Wilson Health, the couple will be forever grateful that they did, because of a labor and delivery team determined to help them any way they could.
