
Malachi nearly lost his life to pneumonia and RSV when he was just a few weeks old.
I had a gut feeling at home that something was wrong with my 10-week-old son, Malachi, so I had my husband, Kyle, go check on him. He brought Malachi to me — barely breathing and lifeless.
Both of us are in the medical field — I’m a nurse, and he’s a EMT/firefighter. It’s hard to separate nurse and mama, and daddy and EMT.
We rushed him to the firehouse (Hartville) where Kyle works. Once transported by squad to Akron Children’s, his oxygen levels were extremely low, and the staff said we basically saved his life by coming in. I’ve learned that Mom and Dad know best, so if you think you need to go to the hospital you go!
Malachi was put on a breathing machine in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). He was in the hospital for a week and 3 days with bilateral pneumonia and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
It was an extremely scary time for us. We lost a child in 2014 (stillborn) and when everything was happening with Malachi we thought we were going to lose him too. The staff was amazing in the PICU, and we are extremely grateful for them.
Malachi has made a full recovery and is a happy 6-month-old boy!

The Stephenson Family: Parents Kyle and Erica hold a teddy bear in memory of their oldest child, Delaney, along with sons, Trenton and Malachi. Kyle and Erica are core members of Akron Children’s Precious Parents support group for those with a pregnancy or infant loss.
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