Family: Health scare brings blessings

Her grandson’s recent hospitalization left Theresia Turner feeling proud.
Proud of how 2-year-old Asher Turner made it through a six-day hospitalization with flying colors. And she’s equally as proud to call Iola home.
Young Asher returned home from the hospital Thursday after a nasty case of adenovirus.
The virus is prevalent among all age groups, but is most serious for young children or others with weakened immune systems.
And even then, the virus rarely advances past the “mild” stage.
Not so with Asher.
His mother, Stacia VanHouden, took her son from their Yates Center home Sept. 8 to the emergency room at Allen County Regional Hospital with cold-like symptoms; headache, congestion, and most concerning, a high-grade fever.
Doctors ordered VanHouden to give Asher regular doses of acetaminophen (Tylenol), and if his condition didn’t improve, to return to the hospital.
Three days later, it hadn’t, so VanHouden returned with Asher to ACRH the evening of Sept. 11.
Doctors admitted Asher to the hospital to continue treatment for the fever, and for dehydration because he had stopped drinking as his illness worsened.
By the next day, doctors were certain they knew the illness was viral. They also knew Asher’s condition was worsening. (By then, his eyes had swollen shut, and his fever had yet to subside.)
They made the call to have the 2-year-old transferred via ambulance to Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Mo.
But rather than rely on others to transport Asher, Children’s Mercy officials came to get the youngster with a team of hospital staffers.
Asher was taken in Mercy’s ambulance.
“The closest way I can describe it, is it looks like it’s out of a circus, with animals painted on the side, and bright lights everywhere,” Turner said of the ambulance.
Inside the ambulance, however, is a state-of-the-art medical facility, geared for treating children.
“About the only thing you can’t do in there is surgery,” Turner said.

A WAVE of emotion flooded Turner and her daughter as Asher departed ACRH.
“We started to cry as we left, but Stacia looked at me and said, ‘You’re strong, I’m strong. We’ve got to stay strong,’” Turner said. “So we started praying.”
By then, word had spread through the community about Asher’s condition.
“My phone and Stacia’s phone started getting flooded with texts,” Turner said.
Well-wishers were calling for two reasons: to check on Asher’s condition; and to offer their prayers and words of support.
“One of the most awesome things is knowing you live in a community that’s so close to you,” Turner said. “Even people we didn’t know were praying for Asher.”

DOCTORS IN Kansas City confirmed the adenovirus diagnosis, with patience the key.
Because the illness was viral, it couldn’t be treated with antibiotics.
“All they could do was keep him hydrated and keep his fever down while it ran its course,” Turner said. They also used tubes to drain fluids from his respiratory system.
Adenovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is a common affliction for youngsters, but rarely advances beyond the “common cold” level.
“The doctors at Children’s Mercy knew exactly what it was. I was thrilled they knew what it was, but one of our questions was if he was going to be able to see again after the swelling subsided.”
He would, they were assured.
“They kept saying, ‘He’s going to recover.’ It’s just the process you have to go through,” Turner said. “But seeing a 2-year-old go through that was what made it hard.”
After a rough few days — Asher slept for 48 straight hours at one point — he awakened the evening of Sept. 15. Asher slowly recovered to the point he was discharged two days later after the fever subsided, and doctors were certain he could drink enough fluids on his own.
Even while he slept, Asher was being overlooked by angels, his grandmother insisted.
She recounted when Asher’s aunt arrived as he was still sleeping, and she asked him if he could praise Jesus.
“Even though he was sleeping, he slowly raised his arm,” Turner said. “That’s something he and I had always done, was to praise Jesus.”
A recent checkup revealed only a few remnants of the adenovirus.
“He still has a minor respiratory issue, but they’ve assured us it’s not going to be a problem,” Turner said. “His eyes still look like he’s recovering, but he’s doing lots better.”

MEANWHILE, the calls of support continued unabated.
“The neat thing about it, there was another little boy whose grandmother had contacted me,” Turner said. “She said that by keeping updated on Asher, and seeing his photos, they insisted her grandson be sent to Children’s Mercy.”
That youngster had the same virus.
“I can’t thank people enough for the encouragement and prayers,” Turner said. “The support was everywhere. It was such an awesome feeling. It really touched my heart. It makes me love my community even more.”