PROVIDENCE – Coventry resident Paige Alston, 4, was named the 2018 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Rhode Island Champion Child at an event at Hasbro Children’s Hospital on March 30.
Alston was born with an omphalocele – a scenario in which her stomach, intestines and a portion of her liver developed in a sack outside her body. To complicate matters, Alston also has a hole in the wall between her heart’s upper chambers causing pulmonary hypertension.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
Margaret M. Van Bree, president of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, presented Alston with a commemorative medal to mark the honor.
Van Bree, in prepared remarks, said: “Having an opportunity to recognize Paige for her strength and determination is a wonderful part of my job, but nothing beats seeing how well this beautiful little girl is doing today and how bright her future is. … We are so grateful to her parents for sharing their story – families like the Alstons are the best advocates for the lifesaving work that happens here.”
Once Alston was 3 months old, she underwent open-heart surgery and a tracheotomy to help her breathe. She spent the first 180 days of her life at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, much of it in the pediatric intensive care unit, before returning home with the assistance of a ventilator.
“Our care team at Hasbro Children’s Hospital is [made up of] miracle workers; they not only saved our daughter’s life but continue to care for and love her as though she was part of their family,” said Cliff Alston, Paige’s father.
To date, Alston has undergone 23 procedures and requires monthly tracheotomy changes and maintenance. She no longer needs a ventilator and has a healthy heart, which shows no signs of pulmonary hypertension. Within the coming years, she will need to undergo an additional procedure at Hasbro Children’s Hospital to complete the final closure of her omphalocele, and, hopefully, the reversal of her tracheotomy.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
