Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 2, 2020

16 By Andrea Nagel On a chilly Friday last February, Latesha Everard’s day started like any other. She fed her kids and got them ready for school and day care. Amid the shuffle of socks, boots, coats and backpacks, she noticed her youngest daughter, 1-year-old Nevaeh, seemed a little off. “Nevaeh didn’t seem sick, but she wasn’t quite herself,” Latesha recalled. “She wasn’t feverish or anything, so I dropped her off with her sitter anyway. She seemed perfectly fine.” Later that afternoon, Latesha received the message every parent dreads—Nevaeh was ill and rapidly getting sicker. After they got home that afternoon, Nevaeh’s breathing became very labored. She didn’t want to eat or drink and couldn’t keep down what little she did consume. Cause for concern Latesha began to worry. After work, she took Nevaeh to their pediatrician’s office and was instructed to watch Nevaeh closely into the evening. “It wasn’t a regular cold—I could hear how hard it was for her to breathe,” Latesha said. “She had a high fever. I decided around 9 that night we needed to go to the When a little girl and her family needed them most, Kootenai Health’s pediatric team was there ‘THEY LOVED US LIKE FAMILY’ Family- centered care See how we care for our youngest and teenage patients. Visit KH.org/pediatrics to learn more about pediatric services at Kootenai Health. Pediatrics manager Anna Werner visits with Nevaeh during her hospital stay. Rob Skinner, RT, earned Nevaeh’s trust.