Local hospital gets life-saving donation for newborns

MEADOWBROOK, Pa. (WPVI) -- Holy Redeemer Hospital received a major donation of equipment that can help save a newborn's life.

"Thank you for putting our babies first," said a hospital official, receiving the big ceremonial check for $33,000.

The check donation symbolizes the purchase of a life-saving cooling bed and brain monitor now at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Montgomery County.

It was all started because of little one-year-old Dylan Roberts. Dylan wasn't breathing when he was born at the hospital. He had a brain injury due to not getting enough oxygen in utero.

Dylan needed a cooling bed, but had to be flown to the closest one at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"It's so important. This bed can cool the baby's body temperature and give the brain a chance to recover," says Dr. Christine Ennis, a neonatologist at Holy Redeemer.

Dylan was on the cooling bed for two and half days.

Today, he's healthy, except for some hearing loss in his right ear. So, the Roberts family is giving back.

They raised money so Holy Redeemer can have it's own cooling system called CritiCool. The SuperHero Project matched the funds.

"I knew it was going to change the face of healthcare here, babies will no longer need to leave to get the services that they need," says Kelly Gallagher of the SuperHero Project.

"It really means a lot because we thoroughly believe this is what saved his life," says Katie Roberts, Dylan's mother.

Having the cooling bed right at Holy Redeemer makes it easier for a baby to get the cooling bed treatment quickly and it allows mother and baby to stay together.

A Caesarean section prevented Katie from leaving Holy Redeemer to see Dylan at CHOP until he was four days old.