Matthew has been very sick little boy since last Saturday. He was admitted to Sunrise Hospital with a 102.7 fever from the Emergency Room. This was suppose to be as a safety precaution because it had just been 9 days since his open-heart surgery. The Hospital Director chose to put this sick little baby on on the "lowest level" of hospital care. He was put in a private room in Pediatrics with a 7 to 1 nurse to patient ration. Mommy and daddy argued daily this was not adequate observation for Matthew due to his recent surgery and chronic lung problems. No body would listen to them even though Sunrise Hospital has a long history on Matthew King from being in the NICU for 2-months prior to his first open heart surgery and one month after.

The Medical Director never examined Matthew prior to sending him to a unit where observation is next to nil. I would like to point out that post-operative pneumonia was "suspected" on Saturday. This certainly was a likely culprit seeing as pneumonia is always a dreaded danger "after" any post operative procedure.

Hummm, high fever for days after admission, fuzzy chest x-rays, 9-days from open-heart surgery ,let's put this little guy on the "lowers level of medical care and observation ward.
Cracker Jack boxes put out more intelligent diagnosis with all those symptoms. After being at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's this was like throwing Matthew out with the bath water. These medical decisions did not go without the extreme protest of his greatest advocates, Michael and Terri. Both parent have provided Matthew with his medical care on a 24/7 basis. They as totally exhausted, not to mention sick themselves. This entire week has been a horrible nightmare for the King Trio.

Terri said that someone checked on our little Prince of Strength and Courage anywhere from once an hour to once every two hours. Believe me, nobody wore out any shoe leather going back and forth to this little guy's room that was far from the nurses station. If Matthew had been at home the parents would have been charged with "child neglect" and rightfully so. I am not going to rant and vent to you because I am sure you have already scatched your heads raw at this point. All I can tell you is that sweet, kind Mommy after only being home only 6 hours since Saturday, being sleep deprived and going through the most frightening night on Tuesday, finally blew up.

On Tuesday, two doctors came on duty with a "new set of eyes" and saw the immediate crises that Matthew was in and not getting well; but his condition had worsen. Matthew cough was painful and he relentless moaned and rocked his head back and forth. There was no consoling him because he was "that sick". Of course the "new visual" monitors at the front desk did not pick up the painful effects of pneumonia as there were no audio monitors or room visits. One doctor advised the new ward had nurses observing these monitors at all time and they could tell if the child was in distress. Of course this was NOT TRUE, because Michael and Terri had seen the oxygen, respitory and heartrates indicators with question marks signs, and no one ever bothered to even come check on this 10 month old child. Every time Auntie Kim, Michael or I ever went by the front desk, no body was ever watching the monitors. Maybe it was a monitor watching the monitors, do you think?

Once mommy called Dr. Mayman and vented her absolute frustration with Sunrise Hospital medical care did Matthew get moved to the floor the nurses said Matthew should have been on from the beginning. Terri and Michael do not blame the doctors or nurses as they have to follow their guidelines. When I asked if we could take our own baby monitors and set one up at the nurses station, I was told this was against regulations. I know God has been with the King Trio all along; because I had a good friend die within 24 hours after being diagnosed with pneumonia.


Finally, on day number #5 mommy and daddy got Sunrise Hospital to relocate their little boy sick with pneumonia and a non-mrsa staph infection in his urinary tract from the lowest level of health care to where he belonged from day #1, the intermediate post operative care unti on the 5th floor where all his previous nurses from the PICU welcomed our little hero so warmly and each perform a special little duty for him.

Mommy just called and said Matthew did not have a temp today so far. She actually went home last night and got some sleep. Daddy had been on a special case for his work for almost 24 hours that ended successfully. That gave him the adrenaline boost, so he stayed last night with his son who dearly missed him. Mommy said they have met with the Hospital Administrators throughout the day, so hopefully some other child will not fall through the cracks like Matthew did.

Please continue to pray for our sweet baby, Matthew. He did not suffer this much after his open-heart surgery, thanks to the wonderful, caring medical staff at Stanford. It's too bad you are so far away or Stanford would be the "only hospital" to lay eyes on our special little guy.

God bless all of you, grandma wright for Matthew "who magoo"