Mark, Kayla, and Hannah Hindman

We couldn’t believe we had our baby girl in Bakersfield, CA and would need to stay there as long as she was in the NICU at Mercy Southwest. She ended up staying there for 111 days.

Our story.....We are from Oklahoma. I was in Bakersfield for work and 26 weeks pregnant. I am an educational consultant and have been to Bakersfield many times to train teachers and visit schools. I had a crick in my neck and needed a quick adjustment. I had tried to get into my chiropractor in Oklahoma before I flew to Bakersfield but it didn’t work out so I found a chiropractor in Bakersfield, Dr. Keith Sparks (we will forever be thankful for him).

I went in and he took my blood pressure. It was extremely high so he got a different machine to make sure the reading was accurate. It was still the same. He had told me that his wife also had preeclampsia and made me promise I would go directly to the ER to get checked out. I did and they admitted me into the hospital. They diagnosed me with preeclampsia and two days later I gave birth to our little Hannah Kay. My husband made it to the hospital 4 hours before we delivered. It was all such a whirlwind and a shock. We couldn’t believe we had our baby girl in Bakersfield, CA and would need to stay there as long as she was in the NICU at Mercy Southwest. She ended up staying there for 111 days.

A teacher at Teresa Burke Elementary in Wasco (the school I was visiting that week) contacted me and gave us Scarlett’s phone number. Scarlett let us know that the BRMH would have a place for us to stay as long as we needed it. You have no idea how much stress this took off of our shoulders. We are forever grateful for all of the support that the BRMH gave us. There were so many people in and around Bakersfield that we were blessed by and can never give enough thanks to.

Hannah was born weighing 1 lb. 4.8 oz. and 12 1/2 inches long. She is now 7 months old and is 23 inches long and weighs 9 lbs. 5 oz. and thriving at home. Someday we will come back to visit Bakersfield and let her see the place she stayed for the first 111 days of her life and give thanks again

Mark, Kayla, and Hannah Hindman

Hannah in NICU
Hannah at home