Page 5 - Ochsner Magazine
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$25,000 is sending Dr. Moore and his
team on training trips to Houston to
learn the procedure that saved Savana
and Juliana.
hrough their World Heritage
Foundation Prechter Family Fund, the
The Prechter family, from Prechters have also donated $316,000 in
left: Juliana, Annika, Paul,
Paige and Savana.
the form of a 2:1 challenge grant to fund
a fetoscope, laser and the infrastructure
for providing the fetal therapy at Ochs-
ner Baptist. he goal is to establish an
environment in which other physicians
can train in these techniques. In the
future, the Prechters hope to help Ochs-
ner fund more comfortable, long-stay
rooms for expectant moms and visiting
family—and not just those facing TTTS.
“It would be for anyone going
through a complicated birth,” Paige
says. After all, the Prechters share with
Ochsner a common goal: to ensure that
the hospital is a state-of-the-art center
not just for New Orleans, but for the
entire Gulf Coast region.
Today, Juliana and Savana are 18
success. “When the ultrasound tech- allowed the Prechters to peek in on the
months old. “After all the trials and
nician came in to check for heartbeats, girls via smartphone.
tribulations we had, the girls are happy we were so anxious,” Paige remembers.
and healthy,” Paige says. “We’re very
“And then, ‘ba-boomp, ba-boomp!’ We giving back
fortunate.”
just cried. It was amazing.”
With only about 20 centers in the
When the Prechters returned home, United States ofering laser ablation for
TTTS, many families must travel far
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Paige spent 48 days at Ochsner Medical
Center so the twins could be closely from home. As the Prechters relected
monitored. Savana and Juliana grew on their experience, they began to think
stronger each day, and their happy about other families in their region fac-
To help Ochsner meet the
birthday inally arrived. Weighing less ing the same ordeal. “We had the means
challenge grant, contact than 4 pounds each, they spent 49 days to ly to Houston, but not everyone
Traci Lucas, director of in the NICU, during which time Hurri- does,” Paige says. “It’s important that
development for Women’s
cane Isaac pounded the Gulf Coast. For Ochsner—which took such good care of
and Children’s Services,
three days, Paige and Paul were unable us—can change people’s lives the way
Ochsner Baptist Medical
to visit the babies. But happily, Ochs- Texas Fetal did for us.”
Center, at (504) 894-2017 ner’s NICVIEW webcams—a generous To that end, the Prechters met
or traci.lucas@ochsner.org.
gift from the Brees Dream Foundation, with their physicians to ind out what
founded by Drew and Brittany Brees—
Ochsner would need. heir irst gift of
2014 | issue 1 5