Success Stories

Asthma
John was 14 months old when he began receiving asthma case management at CHIP.  The frequency and severity of his asthma attacks sent him to the Emergency Room on a weekly basis, he fought his mother when she attempted Albuterol breathing treatments, and frequently had to use rescue medications.  John’s CHIP nurse was able to connect him to a pulmonology specialist who adjusted his medications and showed his mother how to solicit compliance from John when using breathing treatments. John’s CHIP nurse also helped his mother gain control over household asthma triggers such as cockroach infestation and unclean living areas while encouraging her to visit her sons specialist regularly for continuing treatment. Now 26 months old, John willingly accepts his Albuterol treatments, has not had to use his rescue inhaler or visit the Emergency Room in over 8 months, and is growing into a healthy, active little boy.  

Pregnant Moms Program
Lashawnda, a pregnant mother who had nine previous failed pregnancies, 2 of which were babies born at 25 weeks gestation or less, was very anxious about her pregnancy. To help her prepare for the possibility of motherhood, a CHIP nurse worked with Lashawnda regularly, making sure she attended her prenatal visits, reported any concerns to her OB/GYN, followed a healthy diet and complied with glucose screenings.  Lashawnda’s nurse also helped talk her through the 25th week of her pregnancy as she became nervous that history would repeat itself and once again leave her grieving the loss of a child.  Her nurse helped her plan for the baby’s arrival and discussed Lashawnda’s concerns about delivering her first full-term baby.  When Lashawnda decided she wanted to breastfeed, her nurse arranged breastfeeding support with CHIP’s lactation consultant and followed up with Lashawnda both in the hospital and after her baby was born.  Lashawnda’s son, born healthy and at full-term, is now a thriving 18-month old meeting developmental milestones with ease

Family Strengthening
At eight months, Noah grunted to communicate.  He had been flagged early by his CHIP
team for a possible hearing impairment. At his 3 ½ to 5 ½ month milestones, Noah began
to show delays. He did not turn his head to locate sounds, or make any of the sounds
normally associated with children his age.
Having been concerned for Noah since he was 3 ½ months old, the CHIP team referred Noah, now13 months old, to Easter Seals for a hearing and speech evaluation. During the evaluation, Noah showed delays in hearing, speech and in several other sensory areas. Upon a later consultation with his doctor, the family and team learned that without a history of earaches or ear infections, Noah could not be tested for hearing loss until he was eighteen months old.
Noah finally came of age, 18 months, to be tested for his hearing loss. Doctors discovered that his ears where filled with fluid that blocked his eardrums. One week after his surgery, his voice had changed. He began practicing different pitches and gave up his low grunts. Now, six weeks after surgery, he is talking in 3, sometimes 4 word sentences. He is asking questions and is not as angry as before because he can communicate his feelings to his mother. Through the persistence of the CHIP team and their monthly interventions through educational home visits, Noah’s problem was documented, followed, and is being resolved. The CHIP team continues to follow Noah and his siblings.