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MIRACLE MONDAYS – Carlee Allen

A parent’s worst nightmare is when their child stops breathing. “She stopped breathing on December 26th, 2016,” said Jennifer Allen, Carlee’s Mom. “My husband called 911. I performed CPR and got her breathing but it was shallow breathing. They got her stable at Illini Community Hospital and then she was airlifted to St. John’s.”

Once Jennifer and her husband arrived at St. John’s, Carlee was stable in her room on a ventilator. “They told us everything that was going on,” Jennifer said. “She had caught a serious virus and had Pneumonia in her left lung which went septic.”

Carlee spent her 2nd birthday in the ICU.

“She was on a ventilator for 32 days we had a few very scary moments. The doctors and nurses took amazing care of her and us while we were there. When Carlee came off the ventilator, the Nurses that we had grown close to went out and bought her a bag of cheese puffs that where bigger than her!”

The Allen family will never forget the care they received at St. John’s. “The Nurses are wonderful ladies and the entire staff is amazing! I still pray for them.”

Carlee will be soon be a very energetic four-year-old. “Thanks to everyone at St. John’s, we get to spend her birthday with her and many, many more to come!”

Do you have a miracle child that was treated as HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital? Facebook message us or email dave.newton@hshs.org and tell us your story! #miraclemondays